


The Way it Was Meant to Be

by Writemydaydreams



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Kikyou Being an Asshole (InuYasha), Memory Alteration, Memory Loss, Romance, Visions in dreams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:21:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 49,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28115334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writemydaydreams/pseuds/Writemydaydreams
Summary: Naraku wants Kagome out of the picture, completely. Can Inuyasha piece together what happened and undo Naraku's plot before it's too late? Or will he be stuck trying to make the best out of his new reality?
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha
Comments: 66
Kudos: 71





	1. Gone

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic and really my first time writing anything major. I don't have anyone to check my work so sorry if there's typos or holes big enough to fit the entire plot. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to delete a few lines to fix a timeline mistake. I'm dumb. Have a great day.

“Kanna, show me again,” Naraku watched the images playing on the mirror in the darkness of the cave. On it he saw Kagome climb over the edge of the well and disappear in a flash of light then the image changed to another of her climbing back over the edge, seemingly returning from wherever she came from. He’d spent the last week watching Inuyasha and his friends through the mirror, planning his next move. He’d lost one too many times to let things continue as they were.

_That girl, Kagome, has interfered far too many times. Inuyasha is far too protective of her to just simply kill her, especially since I tried to use her eyes. I would be far better off if that girl hadn’t found her way here to begin with._

He turned to Hakudoshi and held out his hand, palm up, “Take this shard and embed it in the tree to which Inuyasha was sealed. Be sure you are not seen.”

Hakudoshi took the shard, examining it. It glowed with an ominous dark light very similar to the corrupted shikon no tama. “Are you certain this will work? This is a reckless move for you Naraku. How can you even be certain the well and the tree are connected? You’re basing this on a few stories told by humans. And even if it does work you can’t be sure it will turn out in your favor.”

“It is worth the risk, that girl is a nuisance. All attempts to corrupt her have failed so her existence only continues to hinder my plans. It is also clear to me that Inuyasha draws strength from her presence so this will take care of two problems. Now go while they are too far from the well or tree to interfere. Besides, we should be unaffected and therefore have the upper hand going forward. Inuyasha and his ‘friends’ will have no idea what they are even missing.”

* * *

As day faded into night Inuyasha glanced around at his companions. They had made camp for the night in a small clearing having traveled for most of the day in pursuit of Naraku. Sango and Miroku were settling in for the night across from him and Kagome. Shippo was sitting on Kagome's lap but jumped down to go set up her sleeping bag. He focused on Kagome, listening as she hummed a tune under her breath. She caught his eye and gave him a small smile that caused the hanyo to blush slightly before quickly flashing her his own small smile.

“You should get some sleep, we’re getting an early start tomorrow,” he said, his smile growing a little when he saw her cheeks flush a little in return.

She nodded with a small hum in agreement and stood to go to her sleeping bag. “Goodnight Inuyasha,” she called as he also stood and jumped into the closest tree to her.

He responded with a quick “g’night” as he settled onto his chosen branch, blushing just a bit darker. He took one more look around, using his senses to check for anything suspicious before letting himself relax enough to let his thoughts wander.

His mind settled on one of it’s more popular choices: Kagome. They had only been back on the road for a couple of days now after taking a break to let Kagome’s feet heal from the acid burns she’d received in the ogre’s stomach. That had been a much closer call than Inuyasha liked to admit. He’d been reckless thinking he could use the shard, even on Tessaiga, but he felt like he didn’t have any other options. Had it not been for Kagome, he very well may have lost himself to his youkai blood and killed his friends. Equally disturbing was the possibility that his transformation would have allowed him to survive the whole ordeal to witness what he had done. Just the thought of what could have happened twisted his stomach painfully. To make matters worse Kagome had been injured while helping him overcome his own weakness and lack of foresight. He was supposed to be the one protecting her, instead she’d had to bail him out while standing ankle deep in stomach acid. 

She was in danger quite a bit of the time being with him but she also gave him the extra motivation and strength he needed to protect her and deal with their enemies. In the beginning of their journey sending her home had seemed like the only reasonable and responsible thing to do. She had seemed like a liability, distracting him during battles and almost getting herself killed. Now however it was clear that, without her around, Inuyasha just didn’t fight to his full potential. Inuyasha’s desire to protect her drove him to new levels of strength, allowing him to take down foes that may have bested him otherwise. She was also an essential member of their little group. She held them together and lifted their spirits when they needed it the most, never backing down and always ready to supply a smile whenever someone needed encouragement.

It was also very obvious to anyone who observed them that she occupied a rather large part of her hanyo companion’s heart. Her feelings for him had always been obvious, even before she knew what she felt herself. Inuyasha had remained guarded throughout their journey but even a casual observer would be able to plainly see how much he cared for his companion. He had, however, decided to maintain a certain distance from the miko from the future. Kikyo made that easier, coming between them at regular intervals throughout their journey. She wasn’t his main reason for keeping her at arm’s length however. 

Kikyo would pass from this world eventually, he had accepted that. He tried to be prepared for the pain it was very likely going to cause but his hope of a peaceful end for her tired soul didn’t look promising. He didn’t think she had any intention of claiming his life for herself anymore either; another thing he was pretty sure he could thank Kagome for. Either way he had no intention of following her in death, having found plenty of reason to keep on living.

No, the fact of the matter was that all of the optimism and cheerful attitude in the world couldn’t change the reality of their situation: the path they walked was extremely dangerous and potentially deadly for all involved. It had already, and very likely would continue to, lead them to pain and death and loss. One or both of them may not live to see the end of their journey. They could lose any one of their friends tomorrow or the next day. It was too much uncertainty. The pain of losing one of his friends, friends who were as close to family as he had ever had after his mother, was just too much. He didn’t dare let himself think about losing Kagome, he would die before he let anything happen to her.

And so he kept her at what he hoped was a safe emotional distance. Nevermind that she was already well and truly ingrained in his life and nevermind that losing her would probably break him already. At least if he died she may have a chance at a normal life on the other side of the well, surrounded by her family and friends.

For now he would do everything in his power to protect her. And hopefully they would come out on the other side of everything alive and, if he was very lucky, together.

He looked down at their little group one more time, letting his gaze linger a little longer on Kagome, his thoughts drifting off, and finally let his eyes slide closed.

Inuyasha awoke with a start, jerking his head up. The first sign that something was wrong was how deep asleep it felt like he had been. He had only intended to doze lightly, not needing as much sleep as his human companions, to keep his senses attuned to any potential danger.

The second, and frankly very alarming, sign that something was wrong was what he could smell. Or, more specifically in this case, _who_ he _couldn’t_ smell. Kagome’s scent was missing. Not faded, not faint, not stale; just completely gone.

Inuyasha looked around in a panic. Miroku and Sango appeared to have not moved, but the spot where Kagome had slept was now empty. Shippo also seemed to be missing, scent and all. He also couldn’t locate the large yellow backpack Kagome insisted on lugging around.

The final nail in the coffin of his already barely-there composure was what he saw at the base of the tree he was sitting in. There, poised as always, looking like she thought she belonged, was Kikyo. She was looking up at him with a slightly worried look on her face.

Inuyasha took a few deep breaths to try reign in the rapidly rising panic he was feeling. It wasn’t just that Kagome and Shippo were gone, or that Kikyo seemed to have made herself at home in their camp. Everything felt totally wrong. Nothing smelled right, nothing sounded right (though that could just be the sound of his sanity slipping away), and nothing looked right. His instincts were screaming at him, telling him that something had changed and he needed to fix it, now!

Taking one last deep breath Inuyasha steadied himself before jumping down in front of Kikyo. He turned to the undead miko and gave her a slightly suspicious look. With all the patience he could conjure up he asked, “What’re you doing here and where’s Kagome?”

Kikyo, for her part, had the good grace to look surprised. She gave him an appraising look, tilting her head slightly before answering, “What do you mean ‘what am I doing here’ and who is Kagome?”

“Don’t fucking play dumb with me Kikyo.” Inuyasha crouched down so he was eye level with Kikyo. “If I find out you did something to Kagome-!”

“Inuyasha,” she interrupted, “I really have no idea what you are talking about. Are you feeling alright? Did you hit your head while you slept?” She reached her hand out to feel his forehead but Inuyasha stood up and backed away a step.

He could hear Miroku and Sango starting to move around behind him but his main focus was the misplaced woman in front of him. Still fighting back his panic, Inuyasha changed tactics. “How long have you been sitting there? Was Kagome already gone when you found our camp?”

“I still don’t know who Kagome is,” she said, her patient mask slipping ever so slightly, “and I’ve been here since we made camp last night. You are worrying me Inuyasha. Are you sure you haven’t been injured or perhaps cursed?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Inuyasha scowled at her then turned to face his friends. They looked just as confused as Kikyo. “Do either of you have any idea what happened last night? I need to make sure Kagome is safe. And we should probably find shippo too…”

Sango and Miroku exchanged a quick, worried glance before Miroku spoke, “Inuyasha, I’m not sure who this Kagome is but I assure you none of us have any idea where she is or what happened to her. If you tell us where you last saw her we could perhaps go back and check on her.”

“Oh fuck no! I’m not buying this shit!” Inuyasha threw his hands up in frustration and anger. “You don’t remember Kagome either? We’ve only been traveling with her for the last few months, fighting demons, chasing Naraku. You know, she broke the jewel, shoots sacred arrows, wears strange clothes, coddles that damn kitsune brat. Who, by the fucking way, is also missing. Or are you gonna tell me you don’t remember him either?!”

“Calm down Inuyasha,” came Kikyo’s cold voice from behind him. She walked around so she was also in front of him. “Whatever you think is the matter we will figure it out. However, yelling and throwing your hands about is not helping anything. Clearly nobody knows who you are talking about but maybe if you took a second to explain we could start to get to the bottom of this.”

Nope. This could not be happening right now. Kagome and Shippo couldn’t have just stopped existing. There’s no way anyone could forget her this easily. She’s Kagome dammit, she held their group together through some serious shit. And now the two people who were almost as close to her as Inuyasha was were claiming that they didn’t have a clue who she was. And the woman who had, at one point in time, wanted her dead was also claiming ignorance. No.Fucking. Way.

Taking one last look around, Inuyasha gave each of the people surrounding him his best scowl and barked out “Screw this, I’ll figure it out myself!” before disappearing into the trees.

All three of the camp’s remaining occupants looked around at each other before going about their typical morning routine. This wasn’t the first time the hanyo ran off in a huff and it wouldn’t be the last. He would rejoin them when he was ready and would hopefully explain his strange behavior. 

* * *

Inuyasha couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this level of panic. He circled their camp a few times at varying distances looking for any sign of Kagome or Shippo. When he couldn’t find even a trace of their scents on his third pass he switched to backtracking the path they traveled the previous day for a while before finally giving up. He stopped running, muttered a string of obscenities, and took out a nearby tree with a swipe of his claws.

His panic was gradually being replaced with a growing dread and a cold fear that settled deep in his heart. It was looking more and more like something or someone had taken Kagome and erased her existence from his life leaving nothing but his memories to taunt him. Not to mention the appearance of Kikyo and the unperturbed acceptance of Sango and Miroku to both her presence and the absence of Kagome. No, things were not the way they were supposed to be and the situation needed fixed, now.

Settling into a tree as high as he could go, still well away from camp so nobody could find him, Inuyasha tried to think about the night before, intending to pinpoint anything out of place. That was when the first skull-splitting headache hit him and nearly knocked him out the tree in its intensity. It lasted only a few seconds but pain was blinding. Breathing through the pain, it took Inuyasha a moment to clear his head but when he did he discovered something more than a little disturbing; he had two sets of memories from the previous evening.

He could clearly remember making camp, eating a cup of ramen, watching everyone settle down for the night, and saying goodnight to Kagome before taking a spot in a tree to keep watch. He could also remember, though not quite as clearly, making camp with Kikyo, Miroku, and Sango, eating something roasted over the fire, nodding to Kikyo, then jumping into the same tree she was sitting under to keep watch. Which definitely did not happen and yet at the same time clearly did. So what did that tell him? Not much that he didn’t already suspect.

Alright, so he would just have to try a different memory, a little further back. The day they left the village to set back out on their journey had been pretty memorable, at least for him. Kagome had made a last minute trip through the well that morning to get some extra supplies. Inuyasha went with her to make sure she didn’t take her damn time so they could set out before the sun set for the day. Getting the supplies had been pretty uneventful as had packing everything up and heading to the well. Once in the well house though Kagome, in her never ending clumsiness, tripped going down the steps. Inuyasha of course caught her easily and helped steady her on her feet. Which wouldn’t have been particularly memorable or out of the ordinary, however, this time his hand ended up, quite accidentally, in unsafe territory. And it may have taken him a noticeably long time to remove said hand, his brain having shut down to admire how perfectly this new territory fit in his palm. Oops.

At least there was no way Kikyo could make her way into that particular memory. He shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was when another headache tore through his skull and a second hazy memory of that day drifted through his mind. Kikyo, Miroku, and Sango, along with himself, had stopped briefly to grab some basic supplies that clearly did not come from 500 years in the future. They’d talked to Kaede about something, he couldn't recall what, and set back out the next day. He liked the original memory much better. Inuyasha quickly decided he didn’t like this game of recall anymore.

His first idea was to head straight to the well to see if Kagome was safe in her own time (and to see if she remembered him). They were only a few days away from the village and he could make it a lot quicker by himself. That would mean leaving his two remaining companions alone with Kikyo though and he just couldn’t bring himself to do that. So he decided he would just have to take his new, mismatched group with him. After he thoroughly questioned them of course. Preferably separately so they couldn’t gang up on him. One of them had to know something or suspect something was off. Afterall, Kagome couldn’t just be gone.


	2. Painful Memories

Inuyasha’s trip back to camp was uneventful. He didn’t try to recall any more memories, worried he would suffer through more headaches and remember things that he was positive hadn’t actually happened. Instead he tried to think of the best way to go about getting information from his remaining companions. Maybe they were hesitant to say anything with Kikyo there and maybe Kikyo was holding back in front of Miroku and Sango. He would just have to find a way to separate them before asking his questions.

When he arrived back at their chosen clearing he was not surprised to see that everyone was ready to move on for the day. He was usually the one to rush everything so it made sense they would assume he’d be ready to move once he got back. Not one to beat around the bush, Inuyasha decided to take the most direct approach to get the separation he needed.

“Kikyo, I need to talk to Miroku and Sango. Why don’t you start back the way we came and we’ll catch up,” he said, not even looking at the dead priestess. He instead focused on his two companions, trying to gauge their reactions.

Kikyo took a few seconds to respond, the hesitance evident in her voice when she did. “Inuyasha, I do not think we should separate our group right now. Something clearly happened last night, may still be happening now, and you are acting in a very unusual manner. I think it is best that we stick together.”

“Well I don’t,” he responded, finally looking at her. “You’ve been fine on your own for this long, I think you can handle going a little ahead of us for some of the day.”

Kikyo made an odd face at that comment but didn’t respond. She glanced at the other two members of the group before turning and heading back the way they came the day before.

Inuyasha waited until she was out of his hearing range before speaking again. “Alright you two, now that Kikyo isn’t here I want you to tell me why the fuck you’re acting like nothing is wrong.”

“Well’” Miroku started, “that’s because, as far as we can tell, the only thing strange about today is your behavior.”

“My behavior!?,” Inuyasha growled. “Should I not be worried about two of our group going missing? Or Kikyo just showing up out of the blue and making herself at home? Or everyone acting like they don’t remember Kagome or the brat?”

“You keep mentioning this girl, Kagome, but none of us have ever met a Kagome. I thought I heard you or Kikyo mention the name Shippo before but I can’t be certain,” Miroku responded, looking more concerned than ever. “And Kikyo was traveling with you for longer than either me or Sango so her presence shouldn't be the least bit strange.”

Inuyasha looked to Sango, hoping she would have a different answer for him. She looked just as concerned as Miroku and even more confused. “Sango, you too?”

Her small nod caused Inuyasha to drop to his haunches, no longer certain his legs would hold him up anymore. He had really hoped that getting Kikyo away from them would bring about some answers. He hadn’t wanted to examine his dual memories anymore but it was looking more and more like he wasn’t going to have a choice in the matter. An idea struck him, a way to maybe save himself some pain and get information out of his friends at the same time.

He turned back to Miroku and asked, “Who broke the shikon no tama?”

The question caught Miroku off guard and it took a few seconds for him to answer. “Nobody knows. The pieces just started appearing one day.”

Shit, that’s not good. “Who unsealed me from the tree?”

“Kikyo of course. Though I wasn’t there for that so I’m only going on what you two told me.”

Oh fuck no. He would have to ask Kikyo about that. “How did you two end up joining us?”

“I came along because Kikyo could both see and purify jewel shards and also because of our mutual goal of destroying Naraku.”

Sango looked hesitant to answer, not having spoken much to Inuyasha since the day before. “I-,” she paused. “I joined because of my debt to Kikyo for...for,” she stopped, her expression reflecting the pain she was clearly feeling.

Inuyasha looked to Miroku who finished for her, “For Kikyo putting an end to Kohaku's suffering at the hands of Naraku. Inuyasha I hope you have a good reason for bringing all of this up. You are clearly causing distress for poor Sango, you know how painful that day was for her."

Inuyasha didn’t know how painful that day was because, for him, that never happened. Kohaku was still out there somewhere with a jewel shard sustaining his life, at least as far as Inuyasha could remember. He couldn’t deny the emotions clearly shining in Sango’s eyes though. In her mind Kohaku was gone, his life ended by Kikyo, apparently. 

He debated trying to explain everything right then and there. Maybe they would believe him without too much arguing, or maybe they would think he had lost his mind or was under some sort of curse. He could end up bringing up more painful memories and driving away his two remaining friends.

He decided instead to call for a break in their journey to head back to Kaede’s village. There was only some light protesting before Sango and Miroku agreed, both worried about Inuyasha’s mental state. They left immediately to follow after Kikyo who had no doubt stopped to wait for them. It didn’t take them long to catch up and Inuyasha immediately sent Sango and Miroku ahead on Kirara so he could talk to Kikyo alone.

Once it was just the two of them Kikyo turned to face Inuyasha, still looking slightly annoyed. “We are wasting time. Whatever it is that you are dealing with you need to figure it out quickly. Every minute spent on this is another minute Naraku draws ahead of us.”

“Yeah well, for all we know Naraku is the reason things are messed right now. I’m going to ask you some things Kikyo and I need you to answer me truthfully. Do you really not know who Kagome is?”

“Not at all. Today is the first time I've heard that name.”

“And what about Shippo?”

“Shippo? Are you talking about that poor kitsune child we met early in our travels?”

Inuyasha perked up at that, though he didn’t like the small bit of pity he saw flash across her face. “Yeah, annoying little runt, bushy tail, likes to whine to Kag...well he likes to whine, a lot.”

“The one who was killed by the thunder brothers?”

“What?! He wasn’t…” but maybe he was. Maybe in this new reality they were living in, without Kagome to keep an eye on him, he had died. Inuyasha had to know for sure so he thought back to that day. And there was the headache, much stronger and more persistent than before. It took almost a full minute for the pain to fade enough for Inuyasha to think again. When his mind cleared he could vaguely recall the fight with Hiten and Manten. He remembered barely getting out of that fight alive and only because Kikyo was there to take out Manten with one of her sacred arrows. Inuyasha’s final burst of strength that allowed him to kill Hiten came from his anger at the brat’s death at the hands of Manten right before Kikyo finished him off. 

Shippo was dead. When he found Kagome she was going to be heartbroken.

This new reality was looking worse and worse.

“Inuyasha,” Kikyo said softly, interrupting his thoughts. “Inuyasha, are you alright? You look like you may be ill. That happened so long ago, I didn’t realize it still affected you to this degree.”

“I’m fine,” he bit out, even though he was clearly anything but fine. “Another question, who unsealed me from the tree?”

“I did, of course. No one else would have the power to release you.”

“Why?”

“Why did I release you? I’ve told you, after discovering the truth about Onigumo I saw no reason to leave you sealed. If Urasue had not brought me back you would still be pinned to that tree and Naraku would still be free to do as he pleases.”

“And we’ve been traveling together ever since?”

“You know that we have. You are really starting to worry me Inuyasha.”

“Keh. We’re heading back to Kaede’s. I wanna talk to her and check on a few things near the village.”

“If you think that will help…”

Inuyasha turned and headed in the direction he’d sent Sango and Miroku, not bothering to wait for Kikyo to finish her response. They traveled the rest of the day and a little into the night before they came upon the camp the duo had set up. His companions were already sleeping so Inuyasha jumped into a tree and settled in for the night, Kikyo taking her place below him.

He didn’t try to recall any more memories and he didn’t sleep.

The next morning the group broke camp in silence and continued their trek. Everyone was quiet, a somber mood hovering over the group. Inuyasha led the group, Kikyo keeping pace with him. Sango and Miroku walked in a line behind them, Sango bringing up the rear.

It was around midday when the incident occured. Inuyasha thought they were moving a bit too slow so he made a comment about slow humans and insisted they pick up the pace. He started to pull ahead, leaving the others slowly behind. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for him, they knew he was impatient. So why did Kikyo have to argue with him and slow them down? Why did she walk even slower after his comments? Why did the other two go along with her and also slow down? He didn’t have time for this.

“Alright then, fuck this. I’ll meet you guys there, I don’t got all day.”

“Inuyasha!” Kikyo’s voice was demanding, causing him to stop and turn.

She pointed at him and closed her eyes. He felt the familiar tug of the beads, felt them pull him down with overwhelming force, felt his face hit the ground at an alarming speed, felt his jaw and his nose crack with the force of the impact. This wasn’t a regular ‘sit’ command. This was a violent subjugation with the clear intent to injure and incapacitate. Kagome’s use of the beads never actually hurt, it was just an annoyance. No, this was something much different.

He felt Kikyo kneel next to him. “You can not keep running off. I have tolerated your outbursts since yesterday but I can not allow you to do as you please. We will travel together and at a pace the rest of us can handle.”

Inuyasha tried to get up but the pull of the beads hadn’t weakened. Since when did the beads hold him this long? He felt Kikyo place a hand on the rosary and suddenly he could move again. He jumped up and back, away from Kikyo. His jaw was aching and he could feel the blood trickling from his obviously broken nose. The worst thing about it all though was the complete lack of reaction from Sango or Miroku. The looks on their faces clearly conveying that this had happened before, enough times that they were unaffected by the violence of the command. 

Kikyo stood and started towards him. “Inuyasha, let me look-” she started to say.

“No, stay the fuck away from me!” He took another step back to emphasize his command.

“Fine, suffer on your own then.” As if on cue everyone fell back in line, like it was rehearsed, like this happened all the time.

It was only after they had been traveling for a while, Inuyasha at the back of the group, that he realized how effective Kikyo’s show of power had been. He was too shocked to argue, too caught off guard. He didn’t even attempt to leave the group after that, traveling slightly behind so as not to have his back to the group. With a sinking feeling Inuyasha realized that he no longer trusted the people he was traveling with, not even the two he had come to consider his family. He felt isolated and alone to a degree he hadn’t felt since before his days with Kagome. His head started to hurt again but it had nothing to do with memories.

That night, as everyone settled down to sleep and Inuyasha took his spot high in a tree, he decided he should deal with the headaches and examine more of his recent past. There were still a few specific events he wanted to ask about but he didn’t dare bring them up to the others.

First was how he acquired Tessaiga. Kagome was the one who had been able to pull the sword out after he and his brother had failed. So how had he attained it without her? The headache seemed to go on forever, his ears ringing, eyes squeezed shut against the pain. But at the end of it there was the memory he was looking for. He went after the sword alone, followed Sesshomaru without Kikyo, and managed to pull the sword out himself...and immediately transform it to it’s larger state. That couldn’t be right, could it? His desire to protect Kagome had been the catalyst that drew power from the sword, gave him the ability to wield it and defeat his brother. Had he still cut off the bastard’s arm? Yep, at least that hadn’t changed. 

His other concern was his youkai blood. Namely the times it had taken over and turned him into a killer. Had Tessaiga still been broken by Goshinki? Time to find out. One brain melting headache later and Inuyasha had his answer. It had broken, he had transformed, and Kikyo had used the subduing spell to bring him back. The memory confirmed that the subjugation was just as violent then as it was now. It also meant he had one more thing he had to try to recall. How had Kikyo reacted to him slaughtering the bandits when they faced Gatenmaru? This time the headache was nothing compared to the shock of the memory. It played out much the same at first, with him and Miroku getting stuck in that damn cocoon. He’d transformed, broke out of their little prison, defeated Gatenmaru. And he’d still gone after the bandits, his claws taking down anyone in his path. In the middle of it all, while he was distracted, Kikyo snuck up to him, grabbed his arms, and purified him.

The bitch purified him. She turned him human surrounded by bandits who could easily have killed him in his weak human state. And it had hurt. Kikyo hadn’t held back, hitting him with the full force of her miko powers. She could have killed him, would have killed him if not for his human blood. Kagome would never have...But Kikyo wasn’t Kagome. Kikyo never really trusted his youkai half, that much was clear now. Maybe that was why he was still wearing the beads. Afterall why would Kikyo need to subdue him if she knew about Onigumo before releasing him? That was enough trips down memory lane for one night.

It took a lot of effort for Inuyasha to try to act normal the next day. At their new, slower pace it took until nightfall to reach the village. Inuyasha resisted the urge to bolt to the well, worried that Kikyo may follow and try to subdue him again. He would wait until late at night to sneak away from the others.

He didn’t question Kaede either when they arrived, wanting to wait until he could get the older miko alone. The others would probably get to talk to her first, to warn her of Inuyasha’s apparent new found madness, but he wasn’t concerned. If the well worked none of it would matter. He would see Kagome and set things right.

They settled around the fire in Kaede’s hut eating their stew quietly. Kaede hadn’t said much beyond her initial greeting, sensing the tension of the group. While everyone was laying down for the night Inuyasha stepped outside and hopped onto the roof to wait for everyone to fall asleep. He didn’t think Kikyo actually slept but he was confident he could get far enough away before she noticed he was gone.

Some time around the middle of the night Inuyasha finally took his chance and headed to the well. He made sure he passed the sacred tree, glancing at the place he was once sealed. It all looked the same but it felt so, so wrong. He prayed to whatever kami would listen that the well would let him through.

Finally at the well he almost couldn’t bring himself to jump in, not knowing what he would do if it didn’t work. He looked into the depths, perched on the side of the old wooden structure. Taking a deep breath to settle his nerves, Inuyasha stepped off the side of the well into the waiting darkness.


	3. Kagome

Kagome jerked awake, roused from an odd dream by an intense shooting pain in her left side. She took stock of her surroundings, feeling slightly disoriented. She was lying in bed, early morning sunlight streaming through her slightly parted curtains. A glance at her clock let her know she’d beat her alarm by about 5 minutes. She’d been having a strange dream about a large white dog with golden eyes trying to protect her from a tree that she was pretty sure was trying to murder her. It ended when the tree managed to shoot a branch past the dog and stab her in her left side, right about where her pain was currently radiating from.

The pain dulled some as she got herself up and started getting ready for school, heading down to breakfast after dressing in her white and green uniform. Her morning meal was uneventful, Sota talking about his soccer match that coming Saturday and her grandfather talking about his latest doctor’s visit. She didn’t mention the pain in her side, knowing her grandfather would make a big deal out of it and try to call her out of school that day. Once finished eating, Kagome excused herself, washed her breakfast dishes, and started to head for the stairs to grab the rest of her stuff before leaving for school.

She was about halfway up the steps when she was hit with a rather painful headache. It didn’t last long but boy did it hurt. It caused her to drop to one knee on the steps, holding her head like she was afraid it would roll off her shoulders. The pain passed as quickly as it had hit, leaving Kagome breathing a little heavy trying to clear her thoughts. She could have sworn she saw... but no, that couldn’t be right. Maybe she was just thinking about her dream again.

Realizing she was going to make herself late, Kagome jogged the rest of the way up the steps and quickly gathered the rest of her stuff into her backpack. She headed back downstairs, grabbed her lunch and said a quick goodbye to her mother, pulled on her shoes, and ran out the door. Headaches, dreams, and phantom pains could wait. It was Thursday and she had two important tests to take today plus one more on Friday that she needed to study for. She also had a date with Hojo Saturday night that she should probably be looking forward to, but really wasn’t.

She was almost at the top of the steps leading from the shrine down to the sidewalk when another headache hit. This time the pain made her stumble and she fell to her knees holding onto her head again. She squeezed her eyes shut and a series of images flashed in her mind. _She was in the well house (what am I doing there?), She stumble and almost fell down the steps, somebody (strange red clothing?) reached out and grabbed her to steady her on her feet._

Then the headache was gone and the images dissolved. Her side burned more intensely for a few seconds but that also quickly faded back to an easy-to-ignore ache. ‘Well this is great,’ she thought, ‘’now I’m in pain and I’m losing my mind.’

She debated actually staying home, worried she’d get hit with more headaches, but Kagome was determined not to miss a day of school. So she kept going, jogging a little to make up for lost time.

The rest of the morning was uneventful. She was pretty sure she’d passed her first test of the day. She’d studied hard but it was math and that was her weakest subject.

Her friends had finally backed off from harassing her about Hojo. She’d agreed to go on a date with him a couple of months ago but had been not-so-expertly dodging his advances since then. He’d only managed to get her on three dates so far and two of those had ended prematurely, Kagome coming up with some excuse to cut their night short. Agreeing to this Saturday had quieted her friends, at least temporarily.

She hadn’t seen Hojo that morning before classes started. He usually tried to find her and walk her to class but she’s gotten better at avoiding him. Maybe he had finally noticed her disinterest or maybe he was just predictable. It was probably the latter.

It wasn’t until around lunch that things started going down hill again.

She was listening with one ear to her friends drone on about a boy that Yuka had started dating. 

“We’re going out again this weekend,” Yuka told them. “There’s a movie we both really want to see and we’re going to try that new restaurant that opened near the theater.”

“That’s great! He sounds really sweet,” Ayumi responded, always eager to encourage her friends' relationships.

“What about you Kagome? Are you still going out with Hojo this weekend?” Eri directed the conversation back to a topic she found more interesting. “Or are you gonna stand him up again?”

Kagome was about to respond when her third headache of the day slammed through her skull. The timing really couldn’t have been worse. Her lack of response made it obvious something was wrong. She was vaguely aware that Hojo had picked that minute to walk into their classroom. She thought she heard her friends calling her name, reaching out to try to steady her.

None of that mattered to Kagome in the moment though. All that mattered was the pain of the headache and the series of images her brain was trying to quickly work through. She was vaguely aware that she was struggling to breathe, the intensity of the throbbing in her head stealing her breath from her. She could still distantly hear people shouting, calling her name. But that was background noise, inconsequential compared to what she could see, and now also hear, in her pain-addled mind.

_Two people were fighting in the distance, one in red and one...floating? Then she was running, holding something soft under one arm. She was chasing after a little boy (was that a tail?) yelling for him (Shippo? Is that his name?). Then she was burning, surrounded by heat and sound. But she was ok, engulfed in a gentle blue aura, shielded from the chaos around her. Someone called her name (that voice!) but she couldn’t see anymore. Then she was standing, the boy in red grabbing her wrist, yelling at her (Don’t go!). White hair, dog ears, gold eyes._

“Kagome, breath!!”

“Is she alright?”

“Kagome!”

“Give her some space!”

Reality was reasserting itself. She was lying on her side on the classroom floor surrounded by her concerned classmates. Hojo was holding her hand, talking to her in a low voice. Her other three friends were behind him, looking worried. She tried to speak, to say she was alright, but she couldn’t find her voice. She tried to get up and finally managed to get herself into a kneeling position with Hojo’s help.

“Higurashi, are you alright? Deep breaths, don’t push yourself.” Hojo put one hand on her back to support her while she struggled to stand.

“I think I’m ok now,” she croaked, her throat dry from her wheezing attempts to breathe. She managed to get her feet under her and, with the help of two of her friends, stood and straightened up.

“I’ll take her to the nurse,” Hojo told her friends. “Would one of you grab her things in case she needs to leave for the day?”

“I got it,” she heard Ayumi say.

Kagome tried to protest but the words wouldn’t form. She let Hojo guide her out of the classroom and down the hall to the nurse. Her side was hurting again, the pain sticking around longer this time. Her head didn’t hurt anymore but her lungs burned from her struggle to draw breath. Hojo kept glancing at her, concern displayed plainly on his boyish features. His right hand was still resting on the middle of her back, guiding her ever so slightly.

The nurse did a brief evaluation, listening to Hojo recount what happened (most of which was new information to Kagome). Apparently the whole ordeal only took a few seconds, though it felt like hours when it was happening. Hojo had made it in time to watch her face go pale and her hands grab the sides of her head. Hearing him describe her fall to the floor and her small cries of pain was slightly alarming. She hadn’t been aware of the fall or that she was making any noises.

The nurse decided to send Kagome home for the day with the recommendation that she should see her doctor to make sure everything was alright. She called her mother to come and escort her home and filled out a note to send to Kagome’s teachers excusing her for the rest of the day. Hojo sat down next to Kagome and took her hand to give it a quick squeeze. “If you need anything call me. If you’re not up for Saturday night I won’t push you. You need your rest.”

“Thanks Hojo,” her voice was coming out much clearer now. “I’ll let you know how I’m feeling.”

He offered to wait with her until her mother arrived but Kagome declined. He told her he’d call her later and headed back to class, leaving Kagome alone with her thoughts.

Her mother really was the best. She’d been doting on Kagome since they arrived home, drawing her a bath, making her favorite snack, and bringing her her favorite pajamas to wear after her bath. She hadn’t pressed Kagome for the details of her lunchtime incident, having gotten a brief explanation from the nurse. She kept Sota and her grandfather at bay, preventing them from asking her questions that she didn’t want to answer.

Kagome was stuck in her own thoughts. She kept seeing the face of the boy who grabbed her arm in the vision, kept hearing him call her name, hearing his shouted “Don’t go!”, and seeing his gold eyes full of panic. She didn’t know him, couldn’t know him. But those eyes, and those ears, were so familiar! But how could they be? How could anyone with those features be real? Maybe he was from a book she’d read, or a tv show, or one of Sota’s video games.

None of that sounded right though. She definitely felt like she should know him, should know his name, his face. And what about the little boy she had been chasing? She’d called out to him, called him ‘Shippo’. She felt like she should know him too, felt like she should be concerned about his safety. 

Trying to think it through was making Kagome tired. She was already exhausted, drained from the pain she was dealing with, her mind slowing down trying to analyze everything. Her bed was calling to her, an early night sounding like the best idea she’d ever had.

She ate dinner with her family, listening with one ear as Sota talked about his day. Her mother expertly interrupted any time her brother or grandfather tried to steer the conversation in her direction. She was clearly exhausted, barely keeping her eyes open. Her mother told Kagome not to worry, she’d clean her dishes up, and sent her off to bed.

It didn’t take long for Kagome to fall asleep, willing herself not to have any more dreams.

She felt only a little better when she woke up Friday morning. Her side was still hurting and she was tired and unfocused, her mind foggy. The previous day felt like a bad dream, but then she wouldn’t feel like this if it were. Deciding maybe some food would help she crawled out of bed and headed downstairs for breakfast.

Her mother was already milling about the kitchen, getting breakfast together and lunches packed for the day. When she spotted Kagome she immediately sat her daughter down and put her breakfast in front of her. “There you go dear, this should help you feel better. Would you like me to call the school and let them know you’re staying home today?”

Kagome started to protest but the pain in her side picked that moment to remind her of its presence. Instead she nodded, “Yes, please Mama. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome dear. You need to get some rest after yesterday.”

Kagome ate her breakfast, finishing before the rest of her family came downstairs. Her mother cleared her dishes for her again and let her head back up to bed. Her grandfather passed her on his way into the kitchen and she heard him start to argue with her mother about what to tell the school ( _did he just suggest telling them that I have gout??_ ). 

Once in her bedroom Kagome sat at her desk instead of heading right back to bed. She figured she may as well try to study a little if she wasn’t going to school since she’d have two tests to make up come Monday. She cracked open her history book (her favorite subject) and pulled out her notebook. She tried to concentrate but her attention kept straying and she ended up rereading most passages 3 or 4 times, still not really absorbing the information. After only 30 minutes of trying to study, her brain was refusing to work. Her mind still felt muddled and foggy, like there was a wall blocking her thoughts.

She sighed, “I’m never getting anything done at this rate. Guess I’ll just get some more sleep.”

She laid down and as soon as her head hit the pillow she was asleep.

_She was standing in front of a familiar tree, the world around her obscured by a thick fog. She could hear a voice but it was garbled, sounding like gibberish to her ears. Her feet felt like they were encased in cement making it impossible for her to move. She thought someone was standing behind her but she couldn’t turn her head enough to see them. There was a smooth patch in the bark of the tree and a small hole in the middle of the patch. She reached her hand out, smoothing it over the flat surface, slowly moving towards the tiny hole. Another voice, from behind her, shouted, “Don’t!!” Don’t what? Her middle finger grazed over the little hollow and she felt a shock go down her arm before she was thrown backwards violently. Strong arms folded around her, catching her around her middle. She tried to look to see who caught her but she…_

She woke up, her side on fire, her right arm throbbing. She was breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath. The pain in her side wasn’t letting up and there were tears in her eyes. _‘What’s happening to me?’_ she thought in a panic. She sat up and lifted her shirt to look at her left side, thinking that if it hurt that much then there should be _something_ there. And there was. A ragged scar, about 2 inches long and the width of a pencil, shone brightly against her smooth skin.

“Mama!” she called, running her finger over the slightly puckered skin. She heard footsteps coming up the stairs and down the hallway.

Her mother poked her head into the room and spotted Kagome on the bed. “Are you alright dear?” she asked, making her way over and sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Mama, I don’t remember having a scar here.”

She leaned down to get a closer look. “Hmm, you got that on your birthday. Don’t you remember? Sota was looking for Buyo in the well house but wouldn’t go down the steps. You went down instead and fell at the bottom. You caught your side on the corner of the well and needed stitches.”

Kagome was quiet for a minute, she did remember that. She remembered Sota being too scared to go down the steps to grab Buyo, remembered going down the steps herself, almost stepping on Buyo at the bottom, falling towards the well, and scraping her side on one of the corners. She remembered being upset at having to miss an entire week of school, and being agitated that her grandfather told the school she was out with a rash. (Seriously, why couldn’t he just tell them the truth?). She even remembered having the stitches taken out a couple of weeks later.

So why had seeing the scar shocked her? Was that why her side was hurting? Did she have some underlying injury the doctor hadn’t spotted? No, none of that felt right. The scar _should_ be there but the memories felt wrong, misplaced somehow. Like they weren’t actually her memories, more like it was a story someone had told her.

She realized she should probably say something, her mother was starting to look worried. “Oh yeah, haha,” she said in a very unconvincing manner. “How could I forget, Sota is such a scaredy cat sometimes.”

Her mother reached up and brushed a few stray hairs from her daughter's face before saying, “You know you can tell me if something is wrong. If you need to talk about anything I’m always here to listen.”

“I know Mama, I’m alright though. Just a little tired from yesterday. I’d tell you if anything was seriously wrong.”

“I know dear. It doesn’t have to be something serious for you to come to me though. Get some rest, I’ll come get you for lunch.”

“Thanks Mama.”

Her mother left, closing her door on the way out. Kagome got up and went to her desk, determined to not fall back asleep. She pulled out a small journal and started writing. Maybe if she wrote her visions and dreams down she could make sense of everything.

She spent the next hour writing out her thoughts, which did help to clear her head a little. Her mother called her down for lunch and was glad to see her daughter looking a little better at least. Eating also seemed to perk Kagome up and by the time Sota was home from school she was almost feeling like herself again. She spent her time between lunch and dinner using her renewed concentration to study.

Right after dinner Hojo called to ask her about their date the next day. He agreed she should stay home and rest and offered to come over and see her instead. Kagome told him that would be alright knowing he would probably stop over anyway to check on her.

Climbing into bed now for the night she decided today could have been worse. She hadn’t had any more headaches and she felt much better than she did when she woke up. She was caught up on her studying and felt ready for her make up tests on Monday. Sota and her grandfather had left her alone, letting her get the rest she needed. It really had been an ok day. 

She really should have known better.

Over the next half hour Kagome was hit with three blindingly painful headaches. Each headache was accompanied by a new set of images. The pain in her side flared with each one, the combination of the headaches and her side leaving her a whimpering mess. At least she was lying down this time.

By the time it was over she was exhausted, her side was a constant dull ache, and her mind was a muddled mess. She couldn’t think straight, couldn’t even move enough to get out of bed. She felt sick to her stomach, her eyes blurred with unshed tears. The headaches were clearly getting worse. If they kept happening how long would it be until she couldn’t recover? All she could do then was lie in bed, holding her aching side, until sleep claimed her.

_She was standing in front of the tree again, the world around her still covered by a thick fog. The voice was still there and she could make out a few words now. It sounded like it wanted her to go somewhere. ‘Go where?’ she thought, but the rest was still gibberish. Her feet still wouldn’t move and she could definitely feel someone standing behind her but she couldn’t turn around to see them. The smooth patch in the bark with the small hole in the middle seemed to call to her, imploring her to reach out and just touch. She reached her hand out, smoothing it over the flat surface, slowly moving towards the tiny crevice. That voice again, from behind her, shouted, “Don’t!!” and she stopped, her hand just resting on the tree now. The world around her began to blur and she felt those strong arms wrap around her and pull her back against a warm, sturdy chest. She looked down...red…_

She woke up slowly this time. Her side still ached and her mouth was dry but her head was a little more clear than the night before. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She needed to use the bathroom and get a drink. She made her way down the hall, everyone else was still sleeping. After a quick trip to the bathroom and down to the kitchen for some water Kagome headed back to her room. She wanted to write out her visions from the night before and her newest dream while they were still fresh.

She sat at her desk and wrote in her journal until her mother called her for breakfast. She hadn’t even heard anyone waking up and moving around, too absorbed in her writing to notice. She ate her breakfast quickly, cleared her dishes, and went back to her room to look at what she had written.

The boy in red (she’d yelled his name. What was it?) was in all the visions. She’d helped him get a sword and watched him fight a giant white dog (with red eyes, not gold). He said he would protect her. 

Then he was fighting a monster with a mouth full of vicious fangs. The monster bit the boy’s sword in half and she watched the boy in red die, but not really. His face transformed, jagged purple stripes and red eyes dominating his features. He ripped the monster apart. Then she’d said something that sent him crashing to the ground and he was alright again, those beautiful gold eyes back.

Her last vision was the worst. The boy was transformed again, red eyes glowing, slaughtering men and horses. He chased them down, took out anything in his path. A tall man in white, with long silver white hair, fought the boy in red. He knocked him unconscious, stopping his rampage. Then she was over him, protecting him, shouting at the man in white to stay back.

Her dream was as much a mystery as her visions. The tree she now recognized as the sacred tree on the grounds of her family’s shrine. She knew that bare patch in the bark and the story of a youkai sealed there back when monsters were real and magic was possible. But that was all, the rest of the dream all fog and gibberish and a man she couldn’t see.

Deciding she’s spent enough time worrying over something she didn’t seem to have any control over, Kagome finally got up to get ready for the rest of her day. One bath and a change of clothes later and she was feeling much better. She’d put on a pale yellow dress with a blue short-sleeved sweater over top in case Hojo stopped over to see her. They were technically dating so she figured she should probably put a little effort into her appearance, even if she wasn’t all that into him. He was nice but he was also kind of boring. His gifts were usually something health related which she guessed was sweet in an odd sort of way.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. She had the house to herself for a while since everyone else had gone to Sota’s soccer game. She spent the day studying and listening to music, letting her mind and body relax. She even managed to ignore the pain in her side.

Her family arrived home after Sota’s game. It was a little after dinner so they stopped for takeout and brought Kagome something to eat. Hojo showed up shortly after. He’d brought her some strange bamboo thing that she was supposed to step on? Yep, sweet but boring, and a bit predictable.

They sat in the living room and watched a movie. Her mother brought them some snacks but mostly left them alone. Kagome hadn’t let Hojo get beyond hand holding and one quick (boring) kiss. They went outside for a bit and talked about school and their friends, upcoming tests, high school entrance exams, and other mundane subjects. Hojo left around 9, giving Kagome a small peck on the cheek.

Once he was gone Kagome wandered over to the sacred tree.

It looked just like it did in her dream, minus the fog and the mysterious presence behind her. She walked over and sat down with her back to the ancient trunk. She leaned her head back against the rough bark and closed her eyes, letting the quiet of the night lull her into a kind of trance. Before she knew it she was asleep.

_She was at the well. Instead of the well house though she was in a large clearing, forest all around her in the distance. The moon was full so she could see the well clearly. It’s dark depths felt oddly inviting, like it wanted her to climb in. It didn’t scare her, though she felt it should have. Someone walked out the trees in the distance, glowing faintly. As the figure got closer Kagome could see that it was a woman. She wasn’t glowing but a strange luminescent snake-like creature was floating around her, casting her features in an eerie glow. Her face was similar to Kagome’s but with sharper features. Her eyes were cold and distant, her long black hair hung loose around her. She was dressed in traditional miko attire and she held a bow in her left hand. Everything began to happen in slow motion. She pulled an arrow from behind her and lifted the bow. She placed her arrow on the bow string, pulled the string back, and aimed her bow at Kagome’s chest. Kagome was frozen, her feet wouldn’t move, her body felt heavy. She felt an arm go around her waist just as the woman released the arrow. She was propelled forward into the well, held tight to her rescuer’s left side. As they fell he said her name and it was music to her ears. His hand squeezed her side gently, directly over her scar. Another voice called, distant, quiet. She heard it say “he’ll find you” before she was engulfed in light._

“Kagome? Wake up dear.”

She felt a hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently. She opened her eyes and her mother was there crouched beside her. “Did I fall asleep? What time is it?” she yawned, looking around a little.

“It’s 10:30. You’ve been out here for a while.”

“Sorry Mama, it’s just so peaceful out here.”

“I know. It’s easy to get lost in thought under this tree.” Her mother looked up into the branches of the sacred tree. “You should really head in now though and get some sleep.”

Kagome stretched a little before standing, her mother also straightening back up. They headed inside together, her mother in the lead. They said their good nights and Kagome went up to her bedroom, her mother heading to the kitchen to get some water. Once in her bedroom she went straight to her desk and pulled out her little journal to write down the newest dream. She then spent some time reading back through what she had written so far.

Not much made sense to her. None of the places in the visions were recognizable, she couldn't place names with any of the faces, and nobody’s voice was familiar. Well, except one. The voice of the man in her latest dream was still echoing in her head, sending a small shiver down her spine. She thought of the red-clad figure, the only constant in her visions. Maybe it was his voice, maybe she _did_ know him. He’d spoken in the visions, she tried to recall his voice but all she could hear was the man in the dream. It must be him, it just felt right. It was only now, thinking back, that she realized that her side no longer hurt. He’d placed his hand over her scar in the dream, had given her a small squeeze as they fell. The now-familiar burning was gone.

But all of this was ridiculous, wasn’t it? Dreams and visions and people wearing strange clothes, falling down wells and banishing unexplained pains wasn’t real life. She gave a frustrated huff and closed the journal. She checked her clock, it was already a little after midnight. She got up to change into her pajamas but stopped halfway to her dresser. Her skin broke out into goosebumps and her side pulsed gently. She heard the second voice from her dreams again but with a different message this time: “He’s coming.” 

Without a second thought Kagome slid quietly out of her room and snuck down to the kitchen, propelled forward by an invisible force. She found a flashlight in a drawer and flicked it on to make sure it worked. She used the flashlight to navigate through the house and out to the well. Her pace never faltered but her heart beat faster the closer she got to her destination. She’d forgone shoes, her feet making quiet slapping noises against the pavement. She stood in front of the door to the well house and paused only long enough to take a deep breath before opening the door, stepping inside, and closing the door behind her. She had a feeling she would soon know how real her visions and dreams really were.


	4. Do I Know You?

Kagome stood at the top of the steps leading down to the well. She stared at the old structure, moving the flashlight beam so it shined into the open top. Her dream was still fresh in her mind, the man’s voice calling her name playing on repeat. She felt a little silly now that she was out here. Did she really expect to find someone hanging out in an ancient well?

She walked down the steps slowly, hesitating on the last one, feeling the rough wood of the stair under her feet. A light breeze ruffled her hair and blew it back away from her face. The air around her felt heavy, like she was in the presence of something powerful or ancient...or both. She took the last step slowly, holding her breath, and put her hand on the aged wood surface. She leaned over and shined the flashlight into the well...and dropped it. “Shit.”

Inuyasha was staring at the inside wall of the well, afraid to look up. He knew where he was, he had his answer. So why was looking up so difficult? He realized he was holding his breath so he let it out in a whoosh. When he finally took a deep breath in he was almost overwhelmed by her scent. He heard movement above him then felt something hit his left shoulder and bounce to the dirt at his feet. The flashlight hit the ground with a small thump, the beam of light going out with the impact.

He heard a quiet curse from above him and with that one word he knew it was her voice. Since when did Kagome curse? He bent and picked up the flashlight before tensing his legs to jump up and out of the well. He landed on the edge in a crouch, drawing a startled squeak from Kagome, and held the flashlight out to her. He had to resist the urge to do something stupid, like jump down and hug her. Three days of tension and worry had left him in an instant when he saw her, safe, alive, and existing, and it was really messing with his judgment.

But the look on her face and the tension in her posture let him know that all wasn’t completely right. She was looking at him like she was seeing a ghost. Backed up against the bottom step, her body leaning back away from him, her hands were clenched in front of her chest defensively and he could hear her heart beating frantically. Her eyes were wide and unblinking, focused intently on his face. But it was her scent that told him the most in that moment.

Her scent was clouded by fear...Kagome was _never_ afraid of him.

He lowered his right arm and set the flashlight down on the wood next to him. Slowly, so as not to scare her more, he stepped down onto the ground keeping his legs against the well to maintain distance. It was killing him to see the fear in her eyes and he was desperate to put her at ease. He did his best to relax his posture, letting his arms hang loosely at his sides, trying to let any lingering tension out of his muscles. He wanted to appear as non-threatening as possible.

Kagome watched the familiar stranger step off the edge of the well (the well he’d just _jumped_ out of) and stand in front of her. She’d let her initial fear and shock control her actions, stiffening her posture and making her move away from the man in front of her. She was afraid, but not of him. All the visions and dreams of the last three days suddenly felt much more real and she didn’t know how to process the situation. She let herself relax slowly, unclenching her hands, letting them fall to her side, and taking a few deep breaths to try and slow her pounding heart.

It was too dark in the well house to get a good look at him. His silvery white hair stood out in the gloom and his amber eyes seemed to glow but the rest of his features were shadowed. She needed to see him in the light, to confirm what she already knew: that this was the boy from her visions.

Then he spoke and it was all the confirmation she needed.

“Kagome, are you ok?”

She gasped at the familiar way he said her name, almost missing his question. It _was_ him. Her voice shook a little when she answered, “I’m ok, I think. Do I know you?” Even in the dark she couldn’t miss his dismayed look.

“You don’t...you don’t know who I am?” His relief when the fear started to dissipate from her scent was short-lived and Inuyasha couldn’t hide the disappointment in his voice. 

“No, I’m sorry. I…” she trailed off, not sure what to say. How do you tell someone that you’ve been having visions and dreams about them? Or that a strange, disembodied voice practically announced his arrival? But he had said her name which meant that he, at least, knew her. “But you know me, don’t you? You said my name. How do you know me?”

He should have known, he really should have known that it wouldn’t be that easy. Things had just gotten much more complicated and Inuyasha did not _do_ complicated. He ran a hand down his face and heaved a sigh of frustration. What was he supposed to tell her? He couldn’t fuck this up, couldn’t risk scaring her off before he could fix things. And he would fix things. The well worked, Kagome was in front of him, and she hadn’t immediately run away from him.

He just needed time to figure this out. “Yeah, I know you, but shit’s complicated.” He sounded angrier than he wanted to.

“Alright. Well,” she hesitated, “un-complicate things, I guess. Tell me something at least.”

Of course the stubborn woman wasn’t going to give him a minute to think. “I gotta think, alright? I don’t wanna say the wrong thing and have you run away before I can explain myself.”

She gave him a flat look. “I’m standing here, talking to a man who I found in an old dried up well, in the middle of the night, who’s dressed like a cosplayer, has dog ears, and is carrying a sword. And I’m still standing here, I think I can handle a little ‘complicated’ without running away.”

He returned her look. “And that’s why you’re always getting kidnapped.”

“Excuse me…? Kidnapped?”

“I told you, complicated. Listen,” he said, “we should go outside and talk. It’s stuffy as hell in here and I know you can’t see in the dark.” He started past her up the steps, not waiting for a response. This was not how he’d pictured their little reunion going.

He finally heard her start to follow him when he slid the door open. He had a very specific destination in mind, one he knew would help put her at ease and convince her of their connection.

She followed him out of the well house and across the shrine grounds, knowing almost immediately that he was leading her to the sacred tree. She watched him walking ahead of her, taking in the red outfit that she’d seen in all her visions. His fluffy white ears twitched on top of his head occasionally and she had to resist the urge to reach up and touch them.

“Umm,” she started, “could you at least tell me your name?”

His shoulders slumped a little at her question and he sighed again. “Name’s Inuyasha. Don’t forget it cause I’m not sayin’ it again.” Her annoyed huff made him smile.

He heard her mumbling to herself, “You don’t have to be rude. Like I could forget a name like that anyway.”

His smile turned into a smirk. She’d said it so low he was sure she hadn’t meant for him to hear. “You makin’ fun of my name, Ka-go-me?”

“How’d you…?”

He stopped walking and turned to look at her. The dusting of color on her cheeks and the look of annoyance almost made him chuckle...almost. He caught her gaze and pointed at his ears instead. “These work a lot better than your weak human ears.”

“Oh, I didn’t-” she started then thought about what he said. Her hands went to her hips and she leaned towards him, going from apologetic to angry at a speed that always baffled Inuyasha. “Well excuse me and my ‘weak human ears’ for not knowing you had super hearing! What are you anyway? And why do you have a sword? And how did you manage to just casually _jump_ out of the well?” She couldn’t seem to stop her barrage of questions, her hands gesturing wildly at his head, then his side, then his legs. “For that matter how do you know my name? And why are you so comfortable just strolling around my shrine in the middle of the night? And why the hell aren’t you wearing any shoes?!”

Inuyasha couldn’t stop the grin from forming at her last question. “Keh, would you slow down, woman? I told you we were comin’ out here to talk, didn’t I?” he cut her off before she could ask any more questions. “And why the hell aren’t _you_ wearin’ shoes? You’re the one with _weak human feet_ ,” he emphasized the last three words, clearly teasing her now.

“I may have _weak human feet_ but at least I’m not a big, stupid...jerk!” she yelled the last word, walking forward until they were only inches apart. “And another thing...” she started and raised a hand, pointing a finger at Inuyasha.

He grabbed her hand and pulled it against his chest, effectively cutting her off. She was so close to him he could see her nostrils flare, her eyes narrowing at his boldness. He looked down at her flushed face, her lips forming an angry pout. “I didn’t come through the well to argue with you Kagome,” he said slowly, suddenly serious. “Shit needs fixed and to do that I need you to trust me. I’ll answer your questions but you gotta promise to listen to everything I have to say.”

Feeling the weight behind his words, Kagome let most of her anger drain away. “Fine, but you have to promise to tell me what I want to know. I’ve had a rough last few days and I’m pretty sure you’re the one who can tell me why. I don’t care how complicated things are.”

“Fine. Let’s go then.” He let her hand go, missing the contact the instant it dropped away. He turned and resumed the short trip to the tree.

When they reached the sacred tree Inuyasha took a second to stare up at the spot where he had been sealed. It hadn’t changed in the 500 years since Kagome had released him. He thought back to that day, realizing his mistake too late as the headache washed over him. He heard a pained cry behind him but couldn’t think straight enough to process the sound. This was the longest headache yet, dragging on and on until Inuyasha thought he would pass out from the overwhelming agony of it. After what felt like an eternity his head cleared, the pain faded completely, and he had another memory to examine. The smell of Kagome’s tears hit his nose a second before he heard her crying.

He whirled around and his heart dropped at the sight before him. She was lying on the ground, curled into a ball, arms wrapped around her stomach. She was practically sobbing, her breath hitching as she tried to breathe. All the worry he’d felt over the last few days and the relief he'd felt coming through the well combined with the sight of Kagome in obvious distress broke straight through all of Inuyasha’s walls. He crouched next to her, acting before he thought about what he was doing.

Kagome felt like she might be dying and, in her current state, thought she might be ok with that. The headaches were definitely getting worse and the pain in her side was back. She’d dropped to the ground and curled in on herself, sound and images bombarded her senses even as the throbbing in her head and side intensified. She’d concentrated on the vision to try and distract herself.

_The boy she now knew as Inuyasha was pinned to a tree by an arrow. Kagome was pressed against him, a large centipede-like creature wrapped around them. She was being crushed. He spoke, asked her if she wanted to die. The creature tightened it’s hold, pushing her to a decision. She grabbed the arrow and pulled, power surging through her until it dissolved in a flash of light. There was a pulse of energy. She said his name before she was thrown back by his burst of power._

The headache finally faded but the stabbing pain her side did not. Her scar felt like a brand burned into her skin. She was crying, struggling to draw breath. She felt Inuyasha slide his arms under her, lifting her and walking towards the sacred tree.

He settled his back against the rough bark, legs in front of him, parted and bent slightly at the knee. He shifted her between his legs so she was resting on her left hip, her knees bent and tucked under his left leg. He wrapped both arms around her and pulled her against his chest. Her head rested on his shoulder, her breath warm on his neck. Her hands were balled into the fabric of his suikan, one on his right shoulder near her head, the other directly over his heart.

“Kagome,” he said her name so gently and with so much concern. “Kagome, what happened, what’s wrong?” 

Her breathing evened out, the tenderness in his voice calming her. She felt safe wrapped in the cocoon of his sleeves. She took a few shuddering breaths before answering, “My head, and my side. I keep getting these terrible headaches.I think they’re getting worse.” She made a small pained sound and seemed to press against him more.

“Shit. When? How many?” Inuyasha made the connection immediately. He panicked and held her a little tighter, wondering if this happened to her every time.

“Seven, I think.Three in the morning a couple days ago and three more really close together last night plus this one just now.”

Fuck. “How bad are they?” He knew how bad his were, and if hers were even half as painful then she was in some serious pain.

She pulled away from him a little and looked at his face intently, his features so familiar even though she’d only met him less than an hour ago. Less than an hour and she was already wrapped up in his embrace, taking comfort from him like she’d known him for most of her life. She needed to know what was going on, why he was so familiar with her. So she asked, “What am I to you?”

The question caught him off guard. How the hell was he supposed to answer that? ‘Everything’ was the most accurate answer but he had a feeling she wasn’t ready for that in her current state. ‘A friend’ would work but she was so much more than that. ‘Complicated’ didn’t even begin to describe them. He decided to keep it simple. “We’re close friends, we travel together.”

She looked around a little at how they were sitting then gave him a pointed look. “How close exactly?”

Damn, that was a hard question to answer under normal circumstances. “It’s complicated,” he started, a little hesitant. “You’re important to me Kagome, that’s why I’m here. I need you to remember me and our other friends. And I need you to remember why we travel together.”

Kagome gave him an appraising look. The night was catching up to her and she was feeling drained from the last headache; she needed to get some rest. She’d been fighting back the pain and her exhaustion, wanting answers, but she could feel her eyelids drooping, her body heavy with fatigue. And apparently Inuyasha noticed.

“You need to get some sleep. I can see how tired you are. Are you still in pain?”

Her right hand moved to her left side. “Just my side, but that’s almost all the time now.”

“What happened to your side?”

“Nothing, it just started hurting. I’ve got a scar there but it’s a few months old.”

Inuyasha looked like he wanted to ask another question but stopped himself. “You should go get some rest. I’ll still be here in the morning.” He moved to stand, straightening up and helping her to her feet with him.

“Where are you gonna stay tonight? Are you going back to...wherever you came from?”

“No. I’m staying here until we figure some things out. I’ll sleep in the well house so nobody sees me.”

Kagome debated with herself for a minute before speaking again, “You can stay in my room if you don’t mind sleeping on the floor. I’ll lock my door so nobody barges in in the morning.”

He wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity to sleep surrounded by her scent. “Fine, I’ll sneak out the window before your family can see me. I’m guessing they don’t remember me either.”

Kagome shook her head, “Probably not.” She turned to head back to the house but Inuyasha had other plans. She made a startled sound when he scooped her up, arms under her knees and shoulders, and ran to the house. He leapt up to her window, sliding it open and depositing her on her feet inside her bedroom then followed her in and closed the window behind them.

“Well that was easier than trying to sneak through the house at least,” she said, voice low so as not to wake her family. “I need to change so turn around and close your eyes.”

He did as he was told, facing the window and closing his eyes. He tried not to think too much about Kagome getting naked behind him, listening to the sound of her clothes rusting while she changed. “You done yet woman?”

She huffed, he smiled. “Yes, you can turn around now.”

He turned and watched her climb into bed, now wearing long-sleeved pink pajamas. He sat down cross-legged under the window and leaned Tessaiga against his shoulder. “How’re you gonna explain me to your family?”

“I dunno. Maybe I should get you some normal clothes to wear,” she yawned, already sounding mostly asleep. “I’ll figure it out in the morning.” Her breathing started to even out and within minutes she was asleep.

Inuyasha spent a few hours dozing off and on under the window. He spent most of his time awake thinking about how much to tell Kagome. He debated just taking her through the well but Kikyo was probably waiting for him on the other side. That could be a disaster. That thought led him to think about his latest memories. His unsealing at the hands of Kikyo had been much different than when Kagome released him.

There was no giant centipede to fight, no angry villagers to shout at him, and no Kagome. Just Kikyo standing directly in front of him and Kaede waiting a few steps back, bow and arrow at the ready. Kikyo released him and immediately subdued him so she could explain things to him without him attacking or running off ( _why didn’t she just leave me pinned to the damn tree?_ ). When she released him he ended up running anyway, too pissed to care what she said. He must have been destined to eat dirt no matter who unsealed him because she subdued him again before he could get out of the clearing.

So it hadn’t gone well. No wonder they still had trust issues; their second chance had started with Kikyo putting a collar on him before he’d done anything to deserve it. At least he was actively trying to get the jewel when Kagome subdued him the first time.

He let his thoughts drift back to Kagome, trying to stay away from the unpleasant memories. When the first rays of sunshine shone through the curtains he got up and jumped out of the window, heading to the well house to wait for Kagome.

* * *

Kikyo stood in the early morning sunlight, her shinidamachu floating around her, looking into the well she’d watched Inuyasha disappear into the night before. She’d followed him, of course she’d followed him. Half a year of travelling together hadn’t fostered a greater sense of trust between the two of them. Their orchestrated betrayal at the hands of Naraku had exposed just how easily they could turn on each other and the experience had left deep scars on their relationship. 

She’d thought, at first, that they were making progress, growing closer, learning to actually trust. He’d started letting himself sleep a little deeper around her and she’d stopped putting a barrier around herself at night. He’d stopped throwing a fit about every village they stopped in and she stopped pretending to control him when they were in those villages. He’d even opened up a little to the other two members of their group, after a time.

Then she’d learned he was hiding something. The first time he’d disappeared during a new moon was easy to brush off. It was early in their travels and they both needed more space in those early days. But when the second new moon came around and he’d disappeared again, without an explanation, she’d gotten suspicious. The next new moon she was ready. With a little help from the monk, she’d put up a barrier around their camp meant to keep him in. He was understandably angry when he tried to sneak off but so was she. How dare he continue to hide things from her while they were trying to learn to trust each other? When the sun set that night and his hair turned black, his dog ears sliding down to form human ears, claws and fangs disappearing, the look of betrayal on his face had been unmistakable.

They’d failed to trust each other...again. Instead of him explaining why he went off on his own, and instead of her just asking what was going on, they’d assumed the worst of each other and kept their own counsel. It left her wondering if, even as a human, would she have even been able to fully trust him. Things hadn’t improved from there.

Every time she subdued him, every time they got in each other’s way during battle, every time they entered a new village and Kikyo kept her distance from him, they were reminded: they still didn’t trust each other. Their encounters with Goshinki and Gatenmaru had only made matters worse. She’d watched him become a murderer and he’d felt the full force of her spiritual powers. She didn’t know that purifying him would turn him human, she’d just wanted to stop his rampage. If Inuyasha realized the implications behind her actions he never said anything.

Now Kikyo had a choice. She could wait for him to return, ask him what was really going on, where he’d been, who Kagome was. She could try to trust him, make an effort to believe what he said. Or she could do what Inuyasha had already done and take matters into her own hands and figure it out for herself.

It wasn’t really a choice though. He’d implied that they didn’t belong together. He’d made it clear that some other woman, _Kagome_ , was supposed to be there with him instead. He wanted to replace her, send her off on her own, and spend his time with _Kagome_ . Was _Kagome_ more precious to him than she? 

She turned away from the well and walked towards the tree that she’d sealed Inuyasha to all those years ago. She could feel a strange energy coming from the area, a dark aura that she hadn’t felt the last time they were in the village. The closer she got the more obvious it became that some kind of dark magic was at work. When she saw the black light shining from within the hole left by her arrow she knew it had to be the cause of Inuyasha's strange behavior. She also knew that Naraku had to be involved. Who else would know the significance of this particular tree with that particular blemish?

She walked closer to the tree, examining the ominous glow. It wasn’t a jewel shard but it was startlingly close. They’d encountered something similar when they’d been caught between Kagura and the wolf youkai. That shard had been so potently poisonous that it had claimed the wolf’s life in the end. And now she was looking at something almost the same but so much worse. She needed to do something about this before it was out of her control, if it wasn’t already.

But first she needed to talk to Kaede. She was going to have to leave on her own for a while and she would need Kaede to keep Inuyasha around until she got back. That was, of course, if he even came back through the well.

She started back towards the village, a plan forming. She would fix this. She would put things right and make sure Inuyasha knew where he truly belonged. 

* * *

Kagome was tired. Her body hurt, her side ached, she had dark circles under her bloodshot eyes, and just getting out of bed had almost been too much for her. She almost wished Inuyasha had stuck around to carry her to the bathroom but wouldn’t that just be fun to explain to her family. It took over an hour of struggling but she somehow managed to bathe, get dressed, and find clothes for her overnight guest. She’d even managed to sneak out to the well house to deliver his new outfit before heading back inside to deliver their cover story to her mother.

Inuyasha hadn’t waited for Kagome to return for him, heading to the house as soon as he was changed. He’d made sure to memorize their cover story about him being a transfer student from a rural part of Japan and Kagome befriending him. He was supposed to be coming over today so Kagome could show him around and he could help her study. He’d managed to get through breakfast with her family without arousing any suspicion and had even held a pleasant conversation with her mother about her spectacular cooking skills. Kagome suspected he was just there to keep an eye on her (Kagome looked and felt like shit) but it was still pleasant having him around.

Now they were seated side-by-side on the stone bench under the sacred tree and Kagome was ready to get some answers. She opened her small journal and turned to a blank page. “Alright, time to answer some questions.”

“Fine, but do I really still have to wear this?” Inuyasha picked at the thin material of the white t-shirt he was wearing. 

“Yes, you still have to wear that. My family could wander out here at any time and we’re going out in public later to get you more clothes.”

Inuyasha was wearing an old pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that had belonged to Kagome’s father and a red zip-up hoodie that she’d picked up by accident from the locker room at school. The hoodie was much too big for her but fit Inuyasha perfectly. The jeans and t-shirt were a little big but not noticeably so. He had a black baseball cap covering his ears and Kagome had somehow convinced him to let her put his hair up in a loose, messy bun, leaving his hair hanging in the front. Shoes had been the only real issue; apparently he didn’t wear them...ever. Luckily her grandfather had purchased zori that were too big for him not that long ago and she’d managed to get Inuyasha to wear them, sans socks of course, at least while they were outside.

Now, aside from the color of his hair and eyes, he would blend right in (so long as nobody took too close a look at his claws and fangs). And he would look good doing it, at least in Kagome’s opinion. She’d already decided that they were going to go shopping later to get him more clothes. He couldn't show up in the same thing every day and expect her family to not get suspicious. Right now though he had some questions to answer.

“OK, how did we meet?”

“I was pinned to a tree, you released me.” Simple, easy answer.

“Why were you pinned to a tree?”

“That’s complicated.” Nope, he was not going there yet.

“It’s all complicated.”

He growled, “Well that’s more complicated.”

“Fine,” she huffed, “how long have we known each other?”

“Not sure, half a year, maybe more.”

“What are you?”

“A hanyo. I’m half inu youkai and half human.” He twitched his ears for emphasis.

She smiled at the gesture then continued, “Why were you in the well?”

“It connects your time to mine. I’m from the past.”

“How far in the past?”

“Really far, I think? You called it the sengoku jidai before.”

“That would explain the clothes and the sword. You said we travel together. Now or in the past? And is it just us?”

“In the past. And no, we travel with a monk, a taijiya, her neko youkai, and a kitsune brat. And what are you writing?”

Kagome held up her journal for him to get a closer look. “I started writing things down after the first headache to try to figure out what was happening. I’m writing down our conversation so I can compare it to my visions later.”

Inuyasha’s eyes went wide for a second before he narrowed them. “You’re having visions? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“It’s complicated. Also, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind since I literally found you in a well so it may have slipped my mind. Anyway, I’m the one asking questions. You can ask what you want when I’m done.” She looked back at her journal then continued, “Do the people we travel with have names?”

“Of course they do. And how does having visions just ‘slip your mind’?”

“Inuyasha…”

“Fine. Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippo.”

“Shippo? I recognize that name.” She looked thoughtful for a second but continued, “Why do we travel together?”

“To defeat Naraku and complete the sacred jewel so that it can be purified. Is any of this familiar besides Shippo’s name?”

She sighed. Her visions made a little more sense now but they weren’t going to get very far if she just kept firing off questions. They needed to talk about her experiences the last few days and figure out why she’d forgotten everything. She had a passing thought that she probably shouldn’t just accept everything at face value like she was. He could be making everything up and she’d have no way of knowing. He was technically just a stranger that she’d found hanging out in an old well after all. But there was one thing she’d known from the moment he’d first said her name and asked if she was ok.

She knew she trusted him. She knew he wasn’t lying or making things up. She knew his concern for her was genuine. She even knew he cared for her in some capacity. And she knew, in her heart, that he wouldn’t hurt her, that he wouldn’t let anyone or anything else hurt her. He’d told her, hadn’t he, in one of her visions, _‘I’ll protect you’._

She didn’t know how she knew but whatever was happening they were at least on the same side.

“Kagome, you alright?” he interrupted her thoughts. He didn’t like the tired look she gave him or how long it took her to answer.

“Yeah, I’m alright,” she responded slowly. “It just doesn’t seem like we’re getting anywhere with these questions. I think...I think we should talk about my visions now. And my dreams.”

“Visions _and_ dreams now? Alright,” he said, giving her a very serious look, “We’ll do that then. But first we need to get some ramen.”


	5. Worry

Inuyasha was trying not to worry, he really was. He’d been watching Kagome closely since she’d brought him his new clothes that morning and he didn’t like what he saw. Her usually bright smile looked forced, she was pale, there were bags under her eyes, and she looked like she was struggling just to stay upright. He didn’t smell any sickness on her so either she hadn’t slept at all last night or, a more alarming possibility, the headaches were taking an actual, physical toll on her body. He hoped it was only the former but a sinking feeling in his gut told him it was probably the latter.

He’d spent a lot of time the night before thinking about the headaches and what they were doing to her. No matter how many times he told himself that there was no possible way for him to have known he still felt a burning guilt when he recalled the incident in front of the sacred tree. She’d been in so much pain, the stench of her fear and agony burned his nose and made his stomach churn. _‘My fault, it’s my fault,’_ he’d told himself, over and over. _‘I’m supposed to protect her, keep her safe. But I caused her so much pain instead. What if…?’_

All through their question and answer session he’d watched, seeing her struggle to concentrate, smelling her anxiety. He’d wanted to stop her, tell her to get more rest. But the longer he let this go on the more likely it was he would accidentally remember something else. What if she didn’t recover next time? What if it...what if he killed her? 

So he kept his thoughts solely focused on the last few days. It wasn’t much help as far as moving forward went but it kept his mind away from thoughts that could hurt Kagome.

When she suggested they start talking about her dreams and visions, Inuyasha had taken advantage of the break in her questioning to suggest they eat something. Well, he suggested ramen specifically but his goal was to get Kagome to eat with the hope that food would help bring some life back into her. He hadn’t anticipated that the stupid woman would want to go out into the smelly, noisy city to get the food and ‘oh, by the way, while we’re out let’s get some more clothes’. He couldn’t even argue with her the way he usually did because he was too afraid to wear her out even more.

So here they were, sitting at a table in a little ramen shop, surrounded by dozens of other people, waiting for someone to bring them their food.

“Inuyasha, you don’t have to glare at everyone. Would you relax a little? I swear you’ve had your arms crossed since we left the shrine,” she said, letting a little agitation into her voice. She softened her voice before continuing, “The food will be out soon and I promise it’ll be better than the instant stuff. It’ll be worth the trip out.” She put a hand on his shoulder, trying to get him to look at her.

“Keh. I like the instant stuff.” He finally looked at her, taking in her tired expression. He sighed and let his arms fall to his sides. His glare morphed into a concerned expression and he gently chided her “You should be resting. And don’t argue,” he cut her off, seeing her mouth start to open to protest, “I can see how exhausted you are. I’m just...I’m worried about you Kagome.”

“I’m alright Inuyasha, really. We need to get you some more clothes so we were going to have to come out anyway,” she explained. “I promise we’ll head back to the shrine as soon as we’re done. I’ll even take a nap when we get back.”

“Fine,” he sighed, “but we’re not talking about anything else until you’ve rested.”

“Fair enough. Oh, here’s the food!”

Inuyasha had to admit, the ramen smelled divine. They ate in silence, stealing glances back and forth when they each thought the other wasn’t looking. Inuyasha practically inhaled the contents of his bowl, begrudgingly admitting to himself that the ramen was actually worth the extra trip. Especially so since it seemed to perk Kagome up.

They left the ramen shop and Kagome led them to a clothing store a couple blocks away. They chatted a little on the way, Inuyasha letting her do most of the talking. He had time on the way to contemplate just how easy it was for Kagome to get him to agree to this little adventure. He’d only put up a small fight, and not just because of her exhaustion. He hadn’t regretted his decision yet but he had a feeling their next stop wouldn’t be quite as pleasant as their first.

He really hated it when he was right. 

Once inside the clothing store, Kagome immediately started grabbing clothes for him to try on, shoving it all into his hands as they went. They were getting odd looks from the other people in the shop but she seemed completely oblivious to their stares. She even managed to grab a few pairs of shoes for him to try on, which he grumbled at but took anyway to carry for her. He did not, however, complain. Kagome had her usual, brilliant smile back and Inuyasha was determined not to mess that up. He still worried she was pushing herself but seeing her smile and hearing her giggle at the disgruntled faces he was making lightened his heart and lessened the anxiety he’d been feeling for the last 4 days.

Then Kagome shoved him into a little room with a tall mirror on one wall, stepped in behind him, and shut the door and a different kind of anxiety took over. He turned to face her and hissed, “What the hell, woman?! There’s not even enough room in here for me!” They barely had a foot of space separating them.

“Relax Inuyasha, I just want to sort through your clothes.” She maneuvered him against the door and started taking each article of clothing from him, hanging the shirts on the wall to his left and organizing the pants on the little bench underneath. She put everything in a specific order and began instructing him on which shirts to try with which pants. “When you get a combination you like let me know and I’ll see how you look. Got it? Are you pouting? Seriously, what are you, seven?”

“Keh this is stupid. I’m telling you there’s nothing wrong with my normal clothes,” he argued, pout firmly in place.

“Well I’m telling you that your normal clothes are anything but normal in this time. And anyway, the quicker you get this over with the sooner I can go home and rest. So stop arguing ok? Please?” she begged, giving him a slightly pleading look.

“Dammit fine,” he relented. He started to take off his hoodie, still standing in front of the door.

“Inuyasha! Let me leave first,” Kagome squeaked, face flushing as she pushed past him and out the door.

He chuckled and turned to the wall of garments. “Still think this is stupid,” he grumbled to himself. 

He spent the next half hour trying on clothes, grumbling about stupid women and their stupid ideas the entire time. In the end they left with four shirts, two pairs of jeans, two zip-up hoodies, a pack of boxer shorts (much to Inuyasha’s embarrassment after Kagome explained their purpose), two packs of socks, and a pair of red and white running shoes. The shoes were still a point of contention but she’d managed to find a comfortable pair that didn’t pinch his toes. Inuyasha decided it could have been worse.

The trip back to the shrine was uneventful. Kagome kept a steady conversation going, mostly explaining things about the modern world to her time-traveling companion. When they got closer to the shrine Inuyasha stopped walking and insisted that Kagome climb on his back for the rest of the trip. She tried to protest but she was too tired to put up much of a fight, which really highlighted _why_ he wanted to carry her anyway.

Once back at the shrine, Inuyasha set Kagome on her feet at the top of the steps. They made their way to the well house where they planned to hide the evidence of their shopping trip behind the well. Then they made their way into the house, Kagome calling a greeting to her mother in the kitchen.

“Welcome back dear. How did the sightseeing go?” her mother greeted as the pair entered the kitchen.

“Good. Yash really liked the ramen shop we went to,” she answered, using the nickname Inuyasha had decided against, earning a glare from the hanyo. Kagome returned his glare with a wink before continuing, “We’re gonna head upstairs so he can help me study for my make-up tests tomorrow."

“Alright, I’ll let you two know when dinner is ready. Would you like some tea while you study?”

“Thank you Mama but I think we’ll be alright until dinner,” she said then tugged on Inuyasha’s sleeve to get his attention.

They made their way upstairs and closed themselves in Kagome’s room. Inuyasha immediately pushed her towards her bed, determined that she should get as much sleep as possible before waking up for dinner.

“What are you going to do while I’m asleep?” Kagome mumbled, fighting a yawn. She crawled into bed and pulled her covers up over herself.

“Wait for you to wake up. Don’t worry about me, just get some sleep will ya?”

“Fine, fine. On my desk-” she couldn’t fight the yawn this time, “is the journal I’ve been writing stuff down in for the last few days. You can look at it while I’m sleeping.”

“Alright, now go to sleep,” he gently scolded. He gave her blanket-covered leg a few awkward pats earning a contented hum and a smile from Kagome. She was asleep within seconds.

Inuyasha picked her journal up from her desk and settled himself with his back to her bed. He could read and write at a very basic level. His mother had started teaching him at a young age, trying to give him every advantage knowing how difficult his life may be. He’d also spent some time glancing through the books Kagome carried with her, when she wasn’t looking of course. So he should be able to get some information from her journal.

He started flipping through pages, focusing on the characters he recognized. He understood enough to know she was dreaming about the tree and the well. He recognized descriptions of himself (red clothes and dog ears, who else would that be?) in almost all of the entries. There was something about a child with a tail in one entry (probably Shippo, fuck, if he had to tell her about him…) and another passage that talked about a sword and a giant dog with red eyes (great, and he might have to explain Sesshomaru).

He closed the journal and set it on the floor to his right. He let his head fall back to rest on the bed and closed his eyes. He felt like he needed a nap himself.

* * *

It didn’t take long for Kikyo to locate her target; Naraku was clearly waiting for her. She readied her bow, prepared to strike if need be.

“Not concealing your yoki anymore, Naraku? You must be feeling confident.”

Naraku appeared several feet away amongst the trees, his barrier glowing around him. “Kikyo, I'm surprised to see you alone. Where are your companions?”

“They’re not far,” she lied. “What about you? Did you not bring any of your creations with you?”

“I have no need of them to deal with you. How is Inuyasha by the way? Are you two enjoying traveling together?” he asked with his usual confidence.

“Don’t start with your games, we both know why I’m here. What is the purpose of the fake shard and what have you done to Inuyasha?”

“What makes you think I did anything?” Naraku chuckled and looked around. “Where is Inuyasha, by the way? Waiting nearby to strike or...” he paused and focused back on Kikyo,   
“Perhaps he’s abandoned you, run away to that girl he’s been talking about. What was her name? Kagome, I believe.”

Kikyo loosed an arrow to Naraku’s left and immediately readied another one. “I told you no games. What have you done to Inuyasha?”

He ignored her question, continuing his taunts, “Has he gone through the well to see her yet?” He took great satisfaction in the look of rage he was eliciting. “I see. Abandoned you already, has he?”

“Who is she? How does Inuyasha know her and I do not?” she demanded.

“I thought you wanted to know about the shard. That is why you’re here after all.”

“Just answer the question Naraku. Who is Kagome and how does Inuyasha know her?”

Naraku gave her a look of smug satisfaction. “She’s your reincarnation. And she holds Inuyasha's heart. How does that make you feel, Kikyo? Does that make you unhappy?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Inuyasha’s heart belongs to me,” she seethed, not bothering to hide her anger. “How can she be my reincarnation when I’m still here?”

“She’s from the future. Where do you think the well goes? It takes him to her and brings her here to him.”

“I don’t believe you.” She let another arrow fly, closer this time. “This is all just a part of your game to turn me against Inuyasha.”

“Do you really believe that? He’s probably with her right now you know. He’s plotting how to get her back so he can push you to the side again, replace you, abandon you.”

She drew another arrow. “I’ve been with him for months, Naraku. He’s had no opportunity to replace me and he certainly hasn’t abandoned me”

“Oh hasn’t he? Then where is he?” When Kikyo didn’t answer he continued, “Has he been acting like you’re together this whole time? Or was he too concerned about _her_ to worry about you?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, he-”

“Did he take the first chance he had to run to her?”

“Stop it!” 

“Did he sneak off and leave you behind?”

“Enough!” She sent another arrow soaring past him, crackling against the barrier.

“He’s with her right now.”

“You won’t trick us again!” She let one more arrow fly, directly at the barrier this time, where it exploded in a flash of light. When the light cleared Naraku was gone.

His disembodied voice echoed around her, “His heart belongs to her. You just need to accept that and let yourself hate them. Hate them both for daring to replace you.”

Kikyo didn’t think about where she was going, too angry to care. She stalked through the trees, hate and jealousy warring in her heart. “Inuyasha belongs to me. His heart, his life, is mine. I will not be replaced. I will not be left behind. If I have to claim his life tomorrow then that is what I’ll do. He will not forget me!”

Her shinidamachu danced around her, her hair swirling in the wind. She was too focused on her thoughts of Inuyasha and Kagome to realize that she’d given Naraku exactly what he wanted.

* * *

_Kagome is standing in front of the sacred tree. There’s no more fog so she can see she’s in a forest. Her feet still won’t move but she isn’t worried, this is where she’s supposed to be. She has a task, she has to fix things. She can hear the voice clearly now, delivering a new message for her. “Your soul blocks your path.” It doesn’t make sense but dreams rarely do. A black light shines in front of her, coming from the tree. It is impure, tainted, distorting the air around it. Black smoke starts to pour from the tiny hollow in the smooth bark, pooling on the ground around Kagome’s feet. It rises around her legs, feeling like cold liquid on her skin. She tries to flee but her feet still won’t move. It reaches her hips and Kagome can no longer feel her legs. She is being consumed, erased. It’s to her chest and she struggles to breath. She manages one last indrawn gasp of breath that she lets out in a scream of terror._

Inuyasha is jolted awake by the sound of Kagome’s scream. He was next to her in an instant, taking in the tears and the panicked look on her face. She was sitting up, clutching at her chest and looking frantically around the room. He knelt on the bed next to her and gently grabbed her shoulders, turning her so she was looking directly at him.

“Kagome! What the hell happened?!”

It took her a second to recognize her surroundings, struggling to banish the feeling of hopelessness left behind by the dream. Inuyasha’s hands on her shoulders snapped her back to reality and brought the room around her into focus.

“These dreams are getting ridiculous,” she breathed.

Inuyasha looked thoughtful, recalling what he’d read. “Were you dreaming of the tree?” He realized he was still holding her shoulders and let his hands drop to the bed.

She nodded, still looking a little dazed. “It was-”

Her mother burst into the room then, stopping just inside the door. “Kagome, are you alright?” She took in the sight of the two sitting on the bed and walked over to sit with them. 

“Mama, I’m alright,” she tried to assure her mother.

“I heard you scream. Are you sure you’re ok? I thought you were supposed to be studying.” 

“I got tired so I laid down for a little bit. I just wanted a short nap, that’s all.” She was fidgeting a little, not wanting to reveal too much.

Her mother gave Inuyasha a very direct look. “Would one of you tell me what’s going on please?”

“Kagome had...” he started, unsure of how much to reveal, “Kagome had a nightmare. I think.” He looked at Kagome for confirmation.

She nodded. “Yeah. I’m ok Mama, just a bad dream.”

Her mother sighed and looked between them again. “Well I’m glad Inuyasha was in here to snap you out of it.”

Inuyasha and Kagome gave each other a wide-eyed look then turned their attention back to Mrs. Higurashi.

“Oops.” The older woman put her fingers to her lips.

“How’d you…?” Kagome started.

“How the hell…?” Inuyasha tried to ask at the same time.

They both stopped, not quite sure what to make of the new development.

“I guess I should explain…” her mother trailed off. She sighed. “Why don’t we talk after dinner? Sota and your grandfather don’t remember anything so keep your act up for a bit, ok?” With that she popped off the bed and made a quick escape, closing the door behind her and leaving her daughter and Inuyasha staring after her with twin looks of disbelief.

It was a few minutes before Inuyasha finally broke the silence. “What the hell just happened?”

Kagome was still a little stunned. “I’m not sure. I guess she remembers you.” 

“You guess? Why the fuck didn’t she say anything?!” He was pissed and the more he thought about it the angrier he became. “What if I didn’t show up? Was she just gonna let you go on thinking I didn’t exist?”

“I don’t know, Inuyasha. I’m sure she had a good reason-”

He cut her off. “There’s no good reason for lying to you!” He stood up, needing to move.

“Inuyasha, listen-”

“No, you listen! What if the well didn’t work!? What if I couldn’t come and get you?!” all of his fears were bubbling to the surface now.

“Keep your voice down! I don’t think-”

“What about the damn headaches?! I’d have never known they were hurting you!” He was a little frantic now, thinking about all the ways he could have lost her for good if he hadn’t been able to use the well.

“Will you let me talk? It doesn’t really matter anyway cause you’re already here, right?” she pleaded, trying to reign in his anger.

“Of course it matters!” He was shouting now. “You were having those headaches for days before I showed up! What would you have done about that, huh?!”

“I don’t know!” she said, her voice now rising with his.

“You’d be stuck here, in fucking pain, nobody to protect you!” ‘You could’ve died,’ he didn’t add but the thought was there.

“I live here, I wouldn’t exactly consider that stuck!”

“Yeah? What about Naraku and the Jewel? What about Sango, Miroku, and Shippo?” He wanted to add ‘what about me?’ but resisted.

“I don’t remember any of them though! As far as I know my whole life is here, everyone I know is here!” She realized she was yelling and lowered her voice. “My family is here. Maybe I’d have been fine if-”

“Don’t say it,” he growled. “Don’t you dare.”

She stopped then and took in the look on his face. He didn’t look angry anymore...he looked scared. Why would he be scared?

“You could’ve died,” he finally voiced his fear, his voice strained slightly with emotion. “I could’ve lost you.”

“Inuyasha,” she said, softly. “I don’t want to fight with you.” She didn’t. She may not be able to remember anything about him, about them, but some of the emotions were still there. They were supposed to care about each other, that much she was sure of. She just didn’t know how deep those feelings went. If the look on his face and the emotion in his voice were anything to go by then she guessed ‘complicated’ didn’t even begin to scratch the surface.

She got up off the bed and walked over to him. He was tense, his hands balled into fists at his sides, claws digging into his palms. She took his hands, one at a time, and uncurled them. “You’re bleeding.”

He pulled his hands away and let them drop back, uncurled. “Don’t worry about it. They’re already healing.” He met her eyes, expression unreadable.

“Inuyasha, what am I to you?” she repeated her question from the night before. “Are we...I mean,” she sighed, not sure how to ask her question. “It’s just, the way you act with me, how you look at me, I know you said it’s complicated but are we...are we together? Like, _together_?” She took a step closer, closing the gap between them.

He should’ve said no, it’s not the time to talk about it, it’s complicated, there’s too much going wrong at the moment, we’ve got too much to worry about. He should’ve looked away, moved back a step, jumped out the window maybe. Instead he just stood there, looking at her, watching her lean towards him.

He didn’t react at first when she pressed her lips against his, still busy frantically telling himself to do _something_ besides stand there like an idiot. Luckily for him (or unluckily depending on which part of his brain you asked) Kagome was persistent and gave his brain enough time to make a decision.

He was still telling himself it was a bad idea when he let his eyes slide closed, still debating jumping out the window when he let his lips mold to hers. Shit, he was in trouble.

Her hands came up to rest on his chest and his went to her back to pull her against him. His brain finally stopped protesting when he felt her lips part, encouraging him to do the same. Their tongues met and they began to explore the new territory, fumbling but enjoying it anyway.

When Inuyasha finally broke the kiss several minutes (or hours or seconds, he couldn’t tell) later they were both breathing a little heavy. Inuyasha pressed his forehead against hers, fighting an internal battle not to say anything stupid like, “We really shouldn't be doing that.” Fuck, so much for that. 

She pulled back and met his eyes. “Why not?”

Shit, why shouldn’t they be doing that again? Kikyo, Naraku, jewel shards, missing memories...it all seemed unimportant compared to what he was currently feeling. But, “Because, it’s just-”

“Complicated,” they both said together.

“Do you regret it?” she asked.

“Not at all,” he answered honestly. “But I mean it, we really shouldn’t be going down that road right now. There’s too much going on, too much that could go wrong.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push you into something you didn’t want.” She tried to pull away from him but he wouldn’t let her, pulling her a little closer instead.

“I told you I don’t regret it so-”

“It’s alright,” she cut him off. “This is just a lot to take in. I have this whole life that I can’t remember. I’m having dreams and visions and getting these painful headaches and my side is burning and nothing makes sense. Then you show up and somehow the strange man I found in a well in the middle of the night feels like the only thing that _does_ make sense and -” She was rambling, still trying to pull out of his embrace.

“Kagome,” he interrupted and tightened his hold, “stop, it’s alright. We’re gonna figure this out, I promise. You just need to trust me. Can you do that?”

She finally stopped struggling and met his eyes. Did she trust him? It was a surprisingly easy question to answer. She trusted him with her life. “I trust you Inuyasha. I know we’ll fix this, it's just a little overwhelming at times.”

Inuyasha finally loosened his hold and let her step away. “We really need to talk to your mother though, find out what she knows.”

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s strange that she would remember things even I can’t.” She moved towards the door and motioned for Inuyasha to follow. “Come on, dinner should be about ready anyway.”

Dinner was awkward. Inuyasha was trying not to shoot agitated looks at Kagome’s mother and Kagome spent most of the time kicking him under the table when he did it anyway. None of this went unnoticed by Sota or her grandfather who kept trying to ask what was going on. Her mother spent most of dinner diverting those questions and trying to keep normal conversation going. It was the longest dinner Kagome had ever sat through.

Kagome volunteered to help with cleanup so they could get her mother alone sooner. Once her other two family members were off to enjoy the rest of their evening and the dishes were done and put away it was time to find out what was going on.

“Alright dear,” her mother started, “I guess it’s time to explain myself. Why don’t we go outside to keep away from any eavesdroppers?”

Inuyasha and Kagome agreed and they all made their way outside.

* * *

Miroku and Sango were having a strange few days. They were both trying to make sense of Inuyasha’s strange behavior then disappearance, Kikyo’s anger then her disappearance, and Kaede’s insistence that they avoid Kikyo if possible.

“Listen you two, there has been a strange aura coming from the forest for four days now. I am sure it is the cause of my sister’s and Inuyasha’s odd actions. If possible you must avoid Kikyo. I fear she may do something drastic.”

“Kaede, what makes you think that?” Miroku inquired. “Inuyasha has been acting much more out of character than your sister.”

“I have cause to suspect that my sister may intend to harm Inuyasha. She wanted me to seal him in an abandoned hut if he were to come back while she was gone."

“She’s probably just worried about him running off again before she can talk to him,” Sango interjected. “He was acting like she didn’t belong with us, like some other woman was supposed to be there instead.”

“Ah yes, Kagome. My sister mentioned her. She told me Inuyasha jumped into the bone eaters well and that she suspected he was going to find that woman.”

Miroku looked thoughtful at that. “He jumped into a well?”

“Yes, Kikyo said he jumped into the well and disappeared in a flash of light. It’s possible it is some type of passage to another place or perhaps even another time. Yokai bones that are disposed of in the well vanish after a time, leaving no trace of their existence. Those bones would have to go somewhere, wouldn’t they? We can only assume that Inuyasha has gone wherever the well takes the bones.”

Sango looked horrified. “What if he’s dead then? What if the well just ate him like it does the bones instead of taking him somewhere? That’s reckless, even for Inuyasha!”

“I don’t believe Inuyasha would have used the well unless he already knew that it took him somewhere,” Miroku reasoned. “Maybe there is some merit behind what he was saying after all. Is it possible the aura coming from the forest is some magic meant to make us forget this Kagome woman?”

“If that’s the case,” Sango started, “then why can Inuyasha remember her and we can’t? And it doesn’t explain his behavior towards Kikyo. They may not get along all the time but I was under the impression that he was supposed to be in love with her.”

Miroku made an amused noise. “I was under the impression that he tolerated her out of obligation and threat of subjugation. It’s not like he shares a bed with her at night.”

“Miroku! Don’t be crass,” Sango scolded. 

Kaede cleared her throat. “I wonder. The evil aura is strongest in the direction of the sacred tree. I haven’t gone to look myself but if someone used the tree to perform some evil magic it is possible it would affect Inuyasha in a different way or possibly not at all. He was sealed to the tree for 50 years so he has a connection to it that others do not.”

Miroku perked up at that. “If it is the tree then surely Naraku is involved. Who else would use that connection to manipulate us? Maybe he’s trying to turn Inuyasha and Kikyo against each other again using the other woman.”

“Or maybe,” Sango started, “his main goal was to just get rid of Kagome. Inuyasha asked Kikyo where Kagome was like Kikyo may have done something to her. He also-” she gasped “he also said she broke the jewel! He said Kagome broke the jewel and that she’d been traveling with us for months.”

“He also went out of his way to separate us from Kikyo like her presence would cause us to hide things. And when Kikyo argued he told her she’d been on her own already, like she didn’t normally travel with us.” Miroku mentally kicked himself. “We should have been paying more attention instead of treating him like he’d gone mad.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself Miroku,” Kaede said. “The important thing is we use the information we have now to figure this out and set things right. I’m afraid my sister is on the wrong path in that regard. I don’t believe her and Inuyasha are meant to be anymore, not in this life and possibly not even in the next. It is too easy for Naraku to come between them, even after all these months of traveling together. Kikyo may be planning something drastic and, if she crossed paths with Naraku, the consequences could be disastrous.”

“We have to do something’” Sango concluded. “And we have to do it soon.”

Miroku stood and walked to the door. “I think our first order of business should be to investigate this evil aura and find its source.” He motioned for Kaede and Sagno to follow. “Let’s go.”


	6. Dilemma

Inuyasha sat with his back to the sacred tree facing the stone bench Kagome and her mother were currently occupying. They were settled in for what they assumed would be a long conversation. Inuyasha had a scowl firmly in place and was looking anywhere but at the two women on the bench. Kagome was looking a little nervous and staring at the ground and playing with the hem of the pink skirt she was wearing. Kagome’s mother was looking serious and focusing her attention on her hands lying in her lap.

Inuyasha was the first to break the silence. “Why didn’t you say anything? You had to know that something was wrong before I came through the well.”

Mrs. Higurashi nodded. “I suspected something the first morning Kagome was back. She wasn’t here the night before but she came down to breakfast and went off to school without mentioning you or the other side of the well.”

Kagome raised an eyebrow. “Why would that be strange though? Don’t I normally come back to go to school?”

Inuyasha was the one to answer, “We only come back when you have one of those tests or we need supplies. You spend most of your time on the other side of the well.”

“I’m away that much?” She looked to her mother, not really believing she’d be allowed to spend that much time out of school and apart from her family.

“Yes dear. Your grandfather is going to start running out of excuses to give the school,” she chuckled. “But it’s alright because what you’re doing is important. You have responsibilities and friends relying on you over there. From what I understand they need you to complete their quest.” She didn’t mention her daughter’s attachment to the hanyo sitting across from them.

“Oh, I see, I think.” She looked a little unsure but kept the discussion moving, “You said you suspected that morning but when were you sure something was different?”

“After you left for school I talked to your grandfather. I didn’t want it to be obvious that something might be wrong so I just asked him if he remembered ‘the crazy thing that happened’ on your birthday.”

“You mean falling and hurting my side on the well?”

“Well yes, but that’s not what really happened. I don’t know everything that happened that day, but I remember Sota running into the house on your birthday and yelling about a monster pulling you down the well. You were gone for a few days then showed back up talking about yokai and jewels and time travel.”

Kagome took a minute to consider then asked, “But you were the one who told me about falling over Buyo and needing stitches when I asked about the scar.” She placed her hand on her side over the area they were currently discussing. “How did you know about that? And how did I actually get the scar?”

Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak then, having witnessed Kagome receiving the scar on her side. Kagome’s mother spoke before him though. “Your grandfather told me the story about Buyo and your fall. I figured that was the safer answer to give you when you couldn’t remember. Inuyasha may be able to tell you how you actually got it though.”

They both looked to Inuyasha then. “You got it when a stupid centipede yokai ripped the sacred jewel out of you. I know that’s what happened because I saw the whole thing from my spot pinned to the damn tree.”

“It ripped a jewel _out_ of me?!” Kagome looked panicked for a moment. “Wait Inuyasha, you can’t remember that, the headaches!”

“It’s alright, we already remembered that day. When we talked in front of the tree last night, it was the memory of you releasing me from that arrow.”

“Oh! The centipede monster was crushing me, I do remember that!” She concentrated and tried to recall more of the memory. “Now that I’m really thinking about it I can remember a lot more. I must get more than the initial vision, I just have to concentrate to get there.”

Her mother rejoined the conversation then. “Umm, headaches and visions? I don’t know about any of that. Could you two fill me in please?”

“I have two sets of memories, “Inuyasha started. “When I try to remember things from before things got screwed up I get terrible headaches and a fake memory. Kagome also gets a headache but she sees things that she forgot.” He didn’t go into details about how bad the headaches were getting.

“I can’t remember anything unless Inuyasha thinks about it. I guess we’re connected somehow, I haven’t really thought about why it’s happening that way.” She looked to Inuyasha but he didn’t look any more sure than she was.

“Maybe the well,” he said, “since we can both travel through it. I dunno, not a lot of this makes sense anyway. Like why are everybody’s memories screwed up except yours?” he directed his question to Kagome’s mother. He was getting frustrated, feeling like they weren’t any closer to solving their problem.

“I don’t know. I spend a lot of time worrying about what happens on the other side of the well though so maybe that helped. How could a mother just forget spending months worried about the safety of her daughter?”

“Mama,” Kagome threw her arms around her mother. “I’m sorry I made you worry”

“It’s alright dear,” she comforted and hugged her daughter back. “I know you’re well protected over there. Mother’s worry about their children, it’s part of life. I just happen to worry a little more because of the circumstances.”

Kagome pulled back and wiped away a stray tear. “You may have a point though. Even though I don’t have any memories of the other side of the well I still get certain feelings when I’m talking to Inuyasha. I also get hit with a lot of emotions when I get those visions. It’s like the memories are gone but the emotions are still there.”

“That would explain why you didn’t run when you found me at the well last night,” Inuyasha added. “You couldn’t remember me but you could probably feel that you at least trusted me.”

“Well that and I’d had like six visions with you in them by that point. My curiosity alone would have kept me there.”

Inuyasha snorted at that but before he could comment on Kagome’s penchant for getting into trouble because of her curiosity her mother spoke up.

“Speaking of the well, have you tried to take Kagome through it yet?”

“No, it’s too risky and Kikyo may still be there,” Inuyasha answered, much more serious than before.

“Who’s Kikyo?” Kagome asked. “And why do you have that look on your face all the sudden?”

“What look?” Inuyasha glared at her.

“That one,” she responded flatly.

“Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter right now anyway.”

Kagome glanced at her mother who was looking a little worried. “Mama, do you know who Kikyo is?”

Inuyasha interrupted before she could answer, “I told you not to worry about it. I’ll explain it when I need to; _If_ I need to.”

“Why are you being so defensive? It’s just a question. Besides if she’s going to be there when we go through the well then I need to know, don’t I?”

“We’re not going through the well.”

“Yes we are. We’re not accomplishing anything sitting around on this side so why not go through? Maybe we can fix things from over there.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“But you said I’m over there all the time.”

“I protect you so it isn’t as dangerous.”

“Well can’t you protect me from this Kikyo person?”

Inuyasha’s face fell a little and he wouldn’t meet her eyes anymore. “This is different. I don’t know what I can do against her.”

Her mother decided this was a good time to change the subject. “Do either of you have any ideas about what’s causing this?”

Inuyasha took advantage of the shift in conversation. “I’m not sure but Kagome is having dreams.” He looked at Kagome expectantly.

She glared at him, not missing how eager he was to get the focus off Kikyo. “I keep dreaming about the tree. I think maybe someone put something in the tree, something dangerous.” She got up then and walked over to stand under the smooth spot with the little indent. “When I touch that spot,” she pointed at the little arrow hole, “in my dreams it shocks me and throws me backward. And my last dream…” she trailed off. Her last dream still scared her, the feeling of being consumed and erased was still sitting at the back of her mind. 

“Kagome,” Inuyasha said softly. He stood up next to her. “What about the last dream?”

Her mother remained on the bench but she was focused on Kagome, eager to hear about the dreams. 

“Well,” Kagome took a deep breath. “It was a lot like the other dreams. I was in front of the tree but I was in a forest instead of here at the shrine. There was a light, a dark glow really, coming from the tree. Then black smoke started coming out of there,” she looked up at the arrow hole again. “It was rising around me and I could feel it on my legs. It was so cold and when it got to my chest I couldn’t breathe” she shivered, her voice shaking a little. “That’s when I woke up...screaming.”

Inuyasha took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It’s alright Kagome. It’s just a dream.”

“I don’t think they are just dreams though. The smoke, it didn’t even really feel like smoke. It felt like ice cold water. It was-” she paused and met Inuyasha’s eyes, “I think it was trying to consume me...to erase my existence.”

Inuyasha could feel her tremble through their linked hands. “You know I won’t let anything happen to you,” he assured her before pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her shoulders, tucking her head under his chin. Her arms circled his middle and she wove her fingers through some of his hair.

Mrs. Higurashi watched her daughter take comfort from a boy she claimed she couldn’t remember and knew her theory about strong emotions was true. Why else would her daughter trust Inuyasha so much without remembering why they were so close? Deciding this was a good time to leave the pair alone she got up and hurried away, mumbling that she’d be in the house.

“Inuyasha, I think we need to go through the well. I think that’s what my dreams are telling me.”

Inuyasha tightened his arms around her. “I’m not letting you anywhere near the well or the tree until we know more, especially after that last dream. I can’t protect you if I don’t know what I’m fighting.” 

“I can’t hide on this side of the well forever. I think I need to be there. I could feel it, in my dream. Standing in front of the tree I just had this feeling like I was supposed to be there.”

“We don’t know enough Kagome. I don’t like it.”

“I know you don’t but what else are we supposed to do?” She pulled back a little so she could see his face. “I told you I trust you and that means I trust that you’ll be able to protect me.”

He met her eyes and gave her a pleading look. “If we do this, and I’m not saying we will, but if we do you have to promise me some things. You don’t go anywhere without me and if things get dangerous then you come right back through the well, no questions asked. And no going near the tree until we talk to Kaede and figure this shit out. Alright?"

“Alright, I promise.”

He sighed and pulled her back against his chest. “You say that but you won’t listen. You never do.”

She laughed a little at that. “I sound like a handful. What did you say about me getting kidnapped all the time?”

Inuyasha snorted, “Alright, so maybe not _all the time_. You get kidnapped enough that I'm starting to think you just like being rescued though.”

Kagome pulled back and glared at him. It only made him want to kiss her, which he absolutely was _not_ going to do.

“Inuyasha! That’s ridiculous. Who would ever want to be kidnapped?”

“I dunno, why don’t you tell me?” he teased.

“Well maybe you let me get kidnapped because you like rescuing me.”

“Keh. Now who’s being ridiculous. I rescue your clumsy ass enough without you getting kidnapped anyway.” He was enjoying their back and forth. It made it feel like things were almost normal. Being this close to her wasn’t too bad either, he decided.

She moved her hands up between them so she could grip the hair hanging around his face and give it a little tug, which brought his face a little closer to hers. “Now I’m clumsy? It makes me wonder why you even keep me around if I'm such a bother.”

“You’re very clumsy...but you’re not a bother,” he said, his voice lowering. He was only inches from her face, the smallest movement would bring them together. When had they gotten that close?

“Promise?” She murmured.

“Promise,” he responded then closed the miniscule gap between them and pressed his lips to hers.

She responded immediately, pressing back and deepening the kiss. They were bolder this time, exploring a bit deeper, breaking apart for air then going back for more. Her hands were balled in his t-shirt and his were rubbing up and down her back and over her shoulders. He strained his ears so he could catch all the little sounds she was making. He would never get enough of her, the damn had broken with their first kiss and now he was drowning in their second.

Kagome was the one to break the kiss this time. “I thought you said we shouldn’t be doing that,” she breathed.

He let his arms wrap back around her and pulled her back against his chest. “We shouldn’t,” he sighed and kissed the top of her head. He was completely screwed. Knowing how it felt to kiss her, knowing how she tasted, it really was too much to resist.

He kept her pressed against him for another minute then reluctantly let her go. “I have to go back through the well. I need to talk to Kaede and Miroku and see if we can work something out over there.”

“Alright,” Kagome nodded. “I’m going with you.”

He took one look at her face and knew there would be no stopping her. He sighed, “Fine, but remember your promise.”

“I will. Let me run in and tell Mama where I’ll be.” She grabbed his hand and started dragging him towards the house.

“You know, I can just meet you at the well.”

“Nope. You’ll just end up going through without me. Then I’ll follow and you’ll get mad and we’ll fight about it and neither of us really wants to go through that.”

“I’m beginning to think you remember more than you’re telling me,” he grumbled.

“Or you’re just easy to predict.” She looked over her shoulder and winked at him.

“Smart-ass woman. I gotta change back into _my_ clothes anyway. I promise I won’t run off without you.”

“Fine,” she said, letting go of his hand. “But I’m only gonna be a minute so don’t get any ideas.” She gave him one last warning look before they went their separate directions.

Her trip into the house was brief. Kagome let her mother know where they were going and gave her a quick hug. Her mother stopped her before she could leave though. “Dear, you should make sure you have a way back out of the well in case it doesn’t let you through. I think there’s a rope ladder in the shed that we keep for emergencies.”

“Good thinking Mama,” Kagome chirped. She ran back outside, grabbed the ladder from the shed, then headed to the well. She knocked on the door to the well house and called for Inuyasha. She entered when he confirmed he was dressed.

She joined him at the bottom of the steps and Inuyasha helped her hang the rope ladder. Then they stood next to the well, holding hands, looking into the waiting depths.

“We’ll jump at the same time. Be prepared to hit the bottom so you don’t hurt yourself if the well doesn’t let you through,” Inuyasha instructed. “If it doesn’t let you through just go back to the house. I’ll be back after I’ve figured things out. If it does let you through, make sure you stay close to me. Got it?”

“Yes sir!” Kagome gave him a mock salute with her free hand.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and helped her sit on the edge of the well, feet dangling above the darkness. He sat next to her and took her hand again “Ready?” he asked.

“Yep, ready as ever.”

“I still don’t like this,” he grumbled before wrapping his arm around her waist and pushing off into the well. He felt the familiar sensation of falling, watched the bottom of the well turn into light, and felt his arm go straight through Kagome as she faded from his sight.

The well hadn’t let her through. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that at the moment but at least she was safe on her side.

He leapt out of the well as soon as his feet hit the bottom on the other side. He’d caught a stench the second he’d come through and he was prepared for an unpleasant encounter.

Just outside the well stood Hakudoshi. “Inuyasha, it’s about time you showed your face.”

“The fuck do you want?” he growled. He pulled Tessaiga from its sheath and held the transformed blade out in front of him.

“I’ve just come to deliver a message and give a warning.”

“Get on with it then, I ain’t got all night.”

“So impatient. The message first then: Naraku said ‘you’re welcome’ and he hopes you’re enjoying traveling with your beloved woman.”

Inuyasha snorted, “Sarcastic jackass. And the warning?”

Hakudoshi raised an eyebrow but continued, “Turns out while you were gone Kikyo wandered off.”

“Is that supposed to be a warning? I’m not her damn keeper.”

Hakudoshi smirked. “Is that any way to speak of the woman you supposedly love?”

“Do you have a point?” Inuyasha snarled. “I’m kinda fucking busy trying to fix whatever bullshit Naraku pulled this time.”

“Well then maybe you should find Kikyo. She’s already sought Naraku out, but not to undo anything,” he taunted. “It seems your beloved would like to keep things just the way they are. In fact, I’d say you’re in for quite the fight when she finally gets back.”

“What, Naraku running out of ideas so he’s just going for the old ‘turn me and Kikyo against each other’ trick? That one’s getting real old.”

Not getting the reaction he wanted, Hakudoshi changed targets. “How is Kagome by the way? She’s on the other side of the well, correct?.”

“She doesn’t have anything to do with this,” Inuyasha snarled.

“Oh, but she has everything to do with this. Have you tried bringing her through the well? I’m sure she could fix this mess if she had the chance.”

Inuyasha let out a menacing growl, “Leave her out of this. Don’t even think about her. You’re not getting anywhere near Kagome.”

“She probably can’t come here anyway. A complete soul can’t be in two places at the same time after all.”

“What are you…?” Inuyasha trailed off, a horrible possibility occurring to him.

“And just so we’re completely clear, Kagome is the only one who can change things back.”

Inuyasha’s blood boiled at the implication and he fought to keep his temper in check. “I’ll find a way around it. I don’t care what I have to do, I’ll find a way to fix this.”

Hakudoshi scoffed, “You figured it out quicker than I thought you would. Too bad there’s still nothing you can do about it.”

“Enough!” Inuyasha shouted and swung Tessaiga towards Hakudoshi, unleashing the kaze no kizu. By the time the air cleared his target was gone.

Inuyasha sheathed Tessaiga and let out a frustrated growl. Questions and possibilities swirled through his mind, none of them pleasant. Could he convince Kikyo to help him? He had a feeling that wasn’t going to happen. But if what Hakudoshi was implying was true then they were in serious trouble.

“Dammit!” A tree fell to Inuyasha’s claws. He ran for the village, intent on talking to Kaede.

* * *

Kagome huffed as she climbed back over the top of the well. She was frustrated it hadn’t let her through but she couldn’t say she was surprised. It would have been too easy.

She made her way back inside, not bothering to hide her disappointment as she entered the kitchen to find her mother. “Mama, I’m back,” she sighed and plopped down at the table.

Her mother came over with two cups of tea and sat with her daughter. “I had a feeling it wouldn’t let you through.”

Kagome took her tea gratefully and sipped. “Thank you, I needed this.”

The two sat in silence for a while, sipping their tea. Both were contemplating the silver-haired hanyo and his connection to Kagome.

Kagome felt a hand on her shoulder. “He’ll be back, he always comes back,” her mother comforted. “He’s nothing if not persistent when it comes to you.”

She smiled at her mother. “I kind of got that impression already,” she mused. “I’m a little worried about him though. When he mentioned Kikyo…” she trailed off.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. You just need to get some rest and he’ll be back before you know it.”

“Mm, I’m sure you’re right. I am tired and I guess that’s making me worry.” As if to emphasize her point Kagome let out a long yawn.

“You should get to bed. Don’t set your alarm, I’ll let the school know you won’t be in tomorrow.”

“Thank you Mama,” Kagome hummed tiredly. It was like her body had been waiting for permission to feel the exhaustion and it was a struggle just to stand.

Her mother helped her up to her room and into bed, not bothering to change into pajamas. Kagome was asleep before her mother left the room.

_She was in front of the tree again, in the forest. Everything around her was distorted by the tainted light radiating from the tree, shapes twisted and obscured. She turned in a circle, looking for a clear path to escape the corruption, but she was completely surrounded. Pitch black smoke covered the ground for as far as she could see, thick and rolling, threatening to destroy her if she dared step into it. She was trapped. There were no voices, no warnings, no guidance, this time. She was alone, a prisoner of some evil force. She could see shapes in the distance that almost looked human. Her friends perhaps? She tried to call out but she had no voice._

_A patch of smoke started to rise in front of her, taking shape. It formed into a rough approximation of a human and started to drift towards her. She panicked, fear seizing her heart. She turned, looking for a weapon, and spotted a bow and a single arrow laying at the base of the tree. She scooped them up and spun back around. The figure was so close now, she barely had time to ready the arrow. She brought the bow up, aiming for the center of the undulating shape, and let her arrow fly in a dazzling display of bright pink energy._

_She thought she heard something screaming as…_

She jolted awake.

Kagome took in her surroundings quickly. Unlike her other dreams this one hadn’t left her feeling disoriented. It was morning, sunlight was shining in the open curtains. She looked at her clock and gasped; she’d slept until almost noon.

She jumped out of bed, feeling better than she had in days. She needed a bath and fresh clothes, then she needed to eat. She went straight to the bathroom to get her day started.

She quickly bathed and dressed, putting on a simple blue skirt and a yellow long-sleeve shirt with a cat on the front. She headed down to the kitchen, intent on quieting the rumbling of her stomach.

Her mother was already moving about, preparing lunch. She looked up when Kagome entered the kitchen. “Good morning dear. I heard you get up so I started getting lunch together.”

“Good morning Mama. Although it’s not really morning anymore,” she giggled.

“No, it’s not. You needed the sleep though, you’re looking much better.” Her mother brought over two bowls of noodles and set them on the table.

“I’m feeling much better today,” Kagome agreed. She sat and immediately started into her lunch.

Kagome offered to clean up when they were done eating. Her mother thanked her and excused herself. It was a quick cleanup and Kagome went straight outside when she was done, heading to the sacred tree. She was worried about Inuyasha and sitting under the tree had always calmed her in the past.

She settled on the little bench and let her mind drift to thoughts of gold eyes and hungry kisses.

* * *

Inuyasha sat on the roof of Kaede’s hut, fidgeting impatiently, waiting for the old woman to wake up. She’d about bit his head off when he’d barged in the night before and she’d made it _very_ clear that he wasn’t to disturb her until she woke up the next morning.

He listened intently, hearing her start to move around her little hut. Of course the woman had picked today, of all days, to sleep in; it was already halfway through the morning. He gave her a few minutes to get sorted before jumping down and joining her inside.

“You ready to talk yet, old woman?” Inuyasha asked and plopped down near the fire. He watched Kaede lower herself across from him and lean forward to stir her morning meal.

“As impatient as ever Inuyasha. What is it you wish to speak about?”

“Don’t play stupid, you know something’s wrong. Has Kikyo said anything? What about Miroku or Sango, they say anything to you?”

“Kikyo left not long after your disappearance and hasn’t been back since. And I’ve already had a discussion with Miroku and Sango, we were just waiting for your return.”

“Keh. Get on with it then. What did you talk about?” Inuyasha’s ears perked up and he gave a small sniff. “Might as well wait, the monk and Sango are on their way over.”

Kaede served them both some stew and they ate in silence for a few minutes until the door was pushed aside and they were joined by the other two members of the group. Neither of the newcomers seemed surprised to see Inuyasha sitting there as they also settled on opposite sides of the fire, completing the circle.

Miroku spoke first, “Have you told him about the tree yet?”

Inuyasha’s ears perked up and he watched Kaede shake her head, “Not yet, we were waiting for you two.” She focused on Inuyasha then explained, “There is a shard of some kind embedded in the sacred tree that is emitting a powerful dark energy. Nobody can approach as there seems to be an equally powerful barrier in place. We think that it is what is causing everyone to forget the existence of Kagome.”

“She’s been having dreams,” Inuyasha cut in, “Kagome, I mean, she’s been dreaming about the tree and a dark light.”

“So then you did go to see her?” Sango asked. “That’s where the well took you?”

“Yeah, how did you know about the well?”

Kaede answered, “Kikyo told me before she left. She followed you the night you snuck away.” She saw Inuyasha cringe but continued, “She was not happy about what she saw. Before she left she requested that I...secure you until she returned.”

Inuyasha jumped up. “You’re not ‘securing’ me anywhere!”

“Calm down Inuyasha, I have no intention of honoring my sister’s request.”

He settled back down but his posture was still tense, ready to run if need be. “She went to find Naraku. Hakudoshi was at the well when I came through which pretty much confirmed this is all one of Naraku’s games.”

“All the more reason to figure this out quickly, hopefully before my sister returns. We have come up with a few theories but it would help to know what is happening with Kagome.”

Inuyasha’s shoulders slumped, remembering his talk with Hakudoshi, “Kagome is the only one who can fix this. I’d suspected but...fuck. That stupid little shit confirmed it. I think she needs to purify that shard somehow.”

“That seems simple enough,” Miroku interjected. “She can travel through the well, correct? Bring her through and we can be done with this.”

“It’s not that simple. The well won’t let her through.” Inuyasha hesitated, the next part wasn’t going to go over well. “She can’t...she can’t come through because she’s Kikyo’s reincarnation.”

He got two blank stares but Kaede looked worried. She understood almost immediately.

“I don’t understand,” Sango started. “How would that-”

Understanding finally hit Miroku, “They have the same soul.” He looked at Sango and watched as the realization hit her.

“Oh no,” Sango sighed.

“Yeah, it’s a problem,” Inuyasha confirmed. “There’s something else I wanna ask about too.” He explained his headaches and memories and the connection to Kagome. He focused on the toll they were taking on Kagome’s mind and body, the pain in her side and her complete exhaustion, while not seeming to have any long term effects on him.

Kaede looked thoughtful for a moment then started, “I can only guess at an answer but it probably has something to do with her human mind rejecting having two sets of memories. Inuyasha, you’re not as affected because your yokai blood allows you to heal the mind and body quickly. Kagome can withstand it to a degree because of her spiritual powers but…” she trailed off.

“But what, old woman?”

“Too many memories may break her mind completely, in which case death would be a mercy.”

“Fuck that! I’m not gonna-” he was about to say something else but cut off when a familiar scent hit his nose...and he panicked. “I gotta go, now!” He jumped up and made to bolt from the hut.

“Inuyasha, wait!” he heard Kaede shout.

He looked over his shoulder. “Kikyo is back,” he informed them. “If she subdues me I’m screwed.”

“Go then,” Miroku said. “We’ll try to work things out until we can find a safe way for you to return.”

They watched the door swing back into place with Inuyasha’s departure. The three remaining occupants of the hut exchanged glances and came to a silent agreement. They all rose together, ready to deal with the aftermath of Kikyo’s untimely return.


	7. Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one warning: There's a brief mention of the death of a parent.

On the outside Kikyo was the picture of serenity. She stood facing the well that had taken Inuyasha from her, her back straight and her head held high. Her plan was to wait for him to come back through then subdue him until she could seal the well permanently. She would deal with whatever Naraku had planned afterwards.

She'd sent one of her shinidamachu to the village earlier to see if Inuyasha had returned already. If he had, she could just seal the well before he knew what was happening. It would make her plan that much easier to execute. He would be cut off from her useless reincarnation and they could work on moving past this whole mess. They could defeat Naraku, together, and move on to their next life, together.

Everything would be as it was meant to be

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she failed to sense the streak of red and silver that was already barreling towards the clearing.

Inuyasha ran as fast as he could towards the well. Kikyo wasn’t far, he’d been too distracted by his conversation and let her get close. As he got closer to the well though her scent only grew stronger.

“Shit, shit, shit. Of course she’s near the damn well!” Inuyasha skidded to a halt just before he broke into the clearing. He spotted her near the well, directly between him and his destination. But she was facing away from him, too far away to hear his approach, so he still had a chance.

He shrunk back into the trees and leapt up onto a high branch, out of sight. He watched Kikyo, waiting for her to move so he could make his run for the well. He would only have a few seconds after she spotted him, just long enough for her to focus her power on the rosary. He just needed to be over the well before her subjugation took hold. He only hoped she was too distracted to sense his presence.

Kikyo lowered herself to the ground and closed her eyes. She needed to focus her power so she would be ready when the time came. Subduing Inuyasha and sealing the well would only take a minute if she were prepared. As time slipped by her aura began to glow brighter with her accumulating power; she was almost ready.

Her shinidamachu rejoined her and circled her a few times. It brought her good news: Inuyasha was in the village. She rose gracefully and approached the well. She admired the aged wood, giving the powerful structure the respect it deserved before placing her hands on the edge.

Inuyasha was unsure how long he sat there, watching for an opening. He watched Kikyo settle on the ground, watched her aura start to glow around her, watched one of her shinidamachu float into the clearing and circle her head. That must have been what she was waiting for because she finally stood and approached the well. She placed her hands on the side and Inuyasha watched her glow a bright pink, her aura flaring. He felt her power pulse and he suddenly knew what she was going to do. She was going to seal the well.

Inuyasha didn’t have time to think, he just reacted. He pushed off his branch and propelled himself into the clearing with as much force as he could muster. He hit the ground and the thump of his landing seemed to echo in the quiet. He was in the air again though, not letting his forward momentum slow. He only needed one more hard push to reach the well.

Kikyo heard him hit the ground and her concentration broke. She whirled around to see him flying through the air in a perfect arc. He was intent on the well, not bothering to spare her a glance. She took a second to admire the way his hair flowed behind him, the way his golden eyes focused on his task, the determined set of his jaw, the way his ears swiveled towards her trying to detect her movements. 

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she raised her hand, closed her eyes, and concentrated.

He didn’t see her readying herself to subdue him but he knew it was coming. His first landing was louder than he planned and he’d felt her power flare with her anger. His feet touched the ground and he pushed off for his third and final leap. He couldn’t fly but seeing him now someone might think he could.

The bottom of the well was almost in view and he let hope bloom in his chest. He felt the power of the rosary around his neck, felt it pull him violently down, overwhelming most of his momentum. He was expecting it though, he had prepared and put a little more power behind his last push. The magic of the rosary pulled him down into the well and he watched the ground dissolve into light as it opened to let him through. Kikyo’s hold was cut off in the passage through time and he regained control of his body.

He heaved a sigh of relief when his feet touched down on Kagome’s side of the well. He’d made it, he’d gotten past her. Now he just had to hope she didn’t seal them both on this side. He leapt out of the well and took a few deep breaths then followed Kagome’s scent.

Kikyo stood, staring at the old well, absolutely glowing with her anger. By the time she had opened her eyes he was already gone, pulled through time towards her useless copy. She slammed her fist down on the top of the well with a shouted, “Curse you!” She heard rustling and approaching footsteps and turned to see Kaede, Miroku, and Sango emerge into the clearing. They approached her cautiously, glancing around the area, likely looking for Inuyasha.

“He’s not here. He’s run off to be with my copy.” Her voice was calm but her power pulsed around her.

They stopped a few feet away and focused on the still-glowing priestess. Kaede took a few extra steps towards her and asked, “What do you intend to do now sister?”

Kikyo gave her sister a cold look. “Inuyasha’s life belongs to me. I intend to make sure he remembers and fulfills his obligations.” She placed her hand back on the well and ran it along the surface. “Even if we have to forego defeating Naraku and leave this life behind to do it.”

Miroku and Sango exchanged worried glances. Something was wrong with the priestess, her power was out of control and it pulsed a deep red around her instead of its usual bright pink. Her suggestion that she would forget about Naraku and just take her and Inuyasha to the next life together was disturbing.

“Kikyo, you must think rationally,” Miroku tried to reason with her. “This is exactly what Naraku wants, turning you and Inuyasha against each other, forcing you to do something reckless.”

“You’re wrong. I can turn his own power against him. I will purify the tainted shard, use it for my own purposes.” Kikyo took a few steps in the direction of the sacred tree, turning her back to the trio trying to reason with her.

Kaede walked up beside her sister and studied the glow in the distance. “There is a barrier. You won’t be able to get close enough.”

“Naraku’s pathetic excuse for a barrier has never been able to keep me out.”

“What are your plans then? Do you intend to use the shard to manipulate Inuyasha?”

“It doesn’t concern you,” she scowled. “Inuyasha is mine and mine alone. He needs to understand that.”

“Sister, please, I know you’re better than this.”

Kikyo glared down at the older priestess. “Shut up Kaede! You’ve clearly chosen to go against me, your opinion means nothing.” She stalked off towards the sacred tree but paused to glance over her shoulder. “Do not follow me!”

They watched her disappear into the forest, aura still flaring around her.

“This is going to be a problem. Her actions are very likely going to work out in Naraku’s favor,” Miroku observed. “And I don’t think any of us are strong enough to stop her.”

“We just have to hope that Inuyasha can find a way to fix things from the other side of the well. There was a taint to the light of my sister’s power very similar to the one surrounding the tree. I fear it may be too late to save her.”

* * *

Kagome wasn’t sure how long she sat under the sacred tree thinking about Inuyasha. She couldn’t get him out of her head and she wondered if it was possible to fall in love with someone you’d only known for a few days. Well alright, she’d technically known him for a lot longer than that but she could only remember the last few days with him so…Maybe she was already in love with him before?

He was hiding something though, something important. A hundred possibilities swirled through her mind and almost all of them centered on the name Kikyo. Who was she and why wouldn’t Inuyasha talk about her? He’d gotten so defensive when she tried to ask him about her. The look on his face at the time, he almost looked guilty. 

She let out a frustrated sigh and got up to stretch her legs. She’d worry about it later since there wasn’t anything she could do about it now. A walk around the shrine, with a quick stop at the well, sounded like a good idea. Maybe moving around would clear her head.

She wandered slowly towards the well house, letting her mind stay blank. When she got close she saw the door slide open and Inuyasha emerge in a flash of red. He spotted her and made his way quickly towards her.

“You’re back, she greeted him when he was a couple steps away.

“Almost didn’t make it,” he grunted. “I need you to try something. Can you try to remove these?” He pointed at the rosary.

“Umm, I guess. What are they?”

“They’re subjugation beads. They can be used to smash my damn face into the ground and hold me there. They’re the reason I almost didn’t make it back.”

Kagome paled a little then lit up with anger. “That sounds awful! Who put them on you? Why?”

“Keh, calm down. You’re actually usually the one who uses them.” He raised his hands up defensively when she visibly flinched at his words. “It’s different when you use them! It doesn’t hurt and it wears off quick and-”

She stepped towards him and grabbed the beads, cutting off his rambling. She lifted them up over his head, getting a little shock in the process. They came off though and she promptly dropped them to the ground.

“There!” she said with finality. “Nobody should have that kind of control over someone.”

Inuyasha was a little dumbfounded; he’d honestly expected more of a fight. “Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

He bent down and picked up the string of beads. It felt odd not feeling their weight around his neck. He met Kagome’s eyes and slipped the rosary back over his head. “Say ‘osuwari’.”

“Osuwari? Why?”

Inuyasha tensed but nothing happened. “Just checking. They don’t work anymore.”

“Wait...osuwari?” she asked, looking confused. He could see the moment it hit her. “That’s what I say?! Like you’re a dog?!”

He pointed at his ears and she seemed to calm a little.

“To be fair to you, I was trying to steal the jewel the first time you used them. And you weren't the one to actually collar me; that was Kaede.”

“Kaede? I really wish I could remember everyone so I knew who you were talking about,” she huffed.

“Don’t worry about it. Once we fix things it won’t matter anyway.”

“Speaking of fixing things, any luck on the other side?”

He shook his head, “Not really. Got more problems now than before I went through.”

“Oh. I uh...I had another dream, by the way. I...well, I really need to find a way through the well, I think.”

Inuyasha gave her an odd look. “That’s not gonna happen. I know why it won’t let you through and there’s no way to fix it. We gotta do something from this side.”

“Inuyasha, I  _ have _ to get through. It’s what my dreams are telling me. I have to go through and I have to face whatever is in the tree.”

He ran a hand over his face. “And I’m telling you it’s impossible. I can’t...fuck, why can’t things just go right for once? I already talked to everyone on the other side, we know you’re the one who can fix shit but as long as Kikyo's around…” he trailed off, not sure where to take that particular thought. He didn’t want to get into Kikyo, didn’t want to have to explain anything that had to do with the dead priestess.

Kagome watched the different emotions flash across Inuyasha’s face. “Who is she?” 

“It’s not import-”

“Of course it’s important!” Kagome snapped. “Who. Is. She?”

“Kagome, please, I can’t…” Inuyasha pleaded with her. Things always went to shit between them when it came to Kikyo, just thinking about all the times…

He realized his mistake as the headache hit with blinding intensity. He saw Kagome grab her head and had just enough time to grab her around the waist and pull her against his chest before they both fell to their knees.

Of all the damn things to think about, why did it have to be Kikyo? And why was Kikyo stealing the damn jewel from Kagome the first thing that popped into his head? Of course this time around she didn’t need to steal it, she was already the keeper. She still gave it to Naraku though and with Inuyasha standing there, just watching. How damn pathetic was he around her?

The pain passed slowly, his head clearing enough for him to think again. He could feel kagome shaking against him and he held her a little tighter. Her forehead was pressed to his chest and her hands rested on his shoulders, gripping the fabric there. He didn’t know exactly what happened between her and Kikyo that day but he could never forget how afraid Kagome had been. The woman who’d faced down his asshole brother, reduced to a shaking mess by Kikyo, and she wouldn’t even tell him why.

And now she’d just had to relive it.

“Inuyasha,” her pained whimper broke into his thoughts. “Inuyasha, it’s not stopping, please.”

“Kagome, hey, what do you mean it’s not stopping?” he asked, panic creeping into his voice. She was sobbing, gasping for breath, clinging to him like she was drowning.

‘My head, it’s...it’s pounding. It hur...it hurts. Please,” she begged. “It won’t...won’t stop showing me…”

Showing her what? Shit, what was she seeing and what the hell was he supposed to do? He held her tighter, one arm around her waist and one hand on the back of her head tangled in her hair.

He was wracking his brain, desperate for a way to stop her pain. She was shaking and he could hear her heartbeat fluttering in her chest, fast but getting weak. He realized she could be dying and his stomach twisted at the thought. If he lost her like this he would never survive it.

Kagome was in absolute agony. Her whole body felt like it was on fire and she was being bombarded with image after image. She saw Inuyasha and Kikyo together, kissing and embracing before the image changed. Now Kikyo was trying to kill her, dropping her over a chasm, telling her she was just a copy. Then she was hiding behind a tree and Inuyasha and Kikyo were embracing again and he was promising to protect her, shouting his devotion. The images weren’t stopping, her head was pounding, and her soul was crying out for relief.

She was begging, pleading with Inuyasha to make the pain stop. But what could he do? She couldn’t breathe properly, couldn’t think. She had enough of her mind left to be sad that Inuyasha would have to watch her die like this. He obviously cared about her, even if he loved someone else.

“Kagome,” she heard her name. “Kagome, listen to me. Try remembering something else, something that won’t hurt you. You gotta stop whatever you’re seeing.”

“I can’t,” she gasped. “I can’t think.” She could barely talk. Her arms dropped to her sides and her body sagged against him.

“Please, Kagome,” he sounded so broken. “Anything, think of anything. What about your mom? Your family? Think about them.”

She tried, she really did. She tried forcing the images away with memories of her family but it wasn’t enough. Images of Kikyo and Inuyasha together kept pushing everything away, crushing her with all the emotions associated with those terrible memories.

Inuyasha could feel her sagging against him, her body starting to give out. He was holding her so tightly, rocking her, trying to sooth the pain away. It wasn’t doing any good, she was slipping away from him anyway.

He was vaguely aware that he was crying, breaking right along with her. He couldn’t let her go, not like this. He had to think, there had to be something emotional enough to snap her back to him. He thought of his own distant past and focused on what brought out his strongest emotions and he knew what he had to try.

“Kagome, can you still hear me?” He felt her nod weakly. He was taking a risk, traveling a path he didn’t know much about. She’d only mentioned him once, to let Inuyasha know that he’d died when she was young and that she missed him. He personally knew how emotional losing a parent could be…

“Think about your father, Kagome. Think about how much you love him and...and how much you miss him. Try remembering things about him, things he used to do or say.” He held his breath, listening to her heart and her breathing. The tremors going through her body started to calm and he prayed to whatever kami would listen that she was recovering and not slipping away.

Hearing Inuyasha mention her dad was a shock but it was a shock she needed. Her mind immediately focused on her strongest memory of him: the morning of the day they lost him. She remembered his smile, his arms wrapped around her in a hug before he left for work, the smell of his cologne. She pictured her parents embracing for the last time and let the love and sadness push everything else away.

Her mind started to clear and she could breathe again. The pain lessened and she was able to bring her arms up around Inuyasha’s neck. She felt him pull her tighter against him and she welcomed the comfort. She cried into his chest while he rubbed her back in small soothing circles with one hand and supported her with his other arm around her waist.

They stayed that way a while, until Kagome’s tears dried up and her body stopped trembling. Inuyasha loosened his hold on her and held her so he could see her face, tear-stained and puffy. Her eyes were open and she glanced up at him but she looked dazed, which was understandable.

“Kagome,” he whispered her name and she met his eyes. “You alright? Did it stop?”

She nodded and let a few more tears fall. “I think,” she croaked and cleared her throat. “I think I’m alright now. But I really need to lie down.” She sounded exhausted.

“I’ve got you, Kagome.” He scooped her up and stood in one motion, cradling her against his chest. He carried her to the house and used his senses to determine where her family members were. The last thing he wanted was for them to see her like this. Once inside he took her straight up to her room and laid her on her bed, carefully adjusting her blankets to cover her. He kneeled down next to the bed and brushed his fingers across her cheek.

“I’m so sorry Kagome. This is all my fault, I knew...I fucking knew this could happen. I shoulda stayed away, I shoulda-”

“Shh, it’s alright,” Kagome comforted, her voice barely above a whisper. She reached out and cupped his cheek. “I’m ok, just tired. I know you would never hurt me.”

“I did though, I did hurt you. I coulda...I almost killed you dammit!” He took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. Her hand was too cool on his cheek and he covered it with his own. “I gotta go back. I have to try to fix this before it’s too late.”

Kagome tried to sit up but he pushed her back down gently. “I wanna help, please.”

“No, you need to rest. The well isn’t going to let you through anyway.” He squeezed the hand he was holding, now resting on the comforter.

She went still and closed her eyes, pulling her hand out of his grip. “It’s because Kikyo is there. She’s why the well won’t let me through.”

“Hey, whatever you saw, it’s not...it’s not really like that. I-” he cut off at the cold look she shot him. His now empty hand clenched and unclenched and he stared at it instead of meeting her eyes.

“I understand. Go ahead Inuyasha, I’ll be fine here.” Her voice was strained with barely contained emotion. She saw the look of hurt on his face and all the fight went out of her. She turned her head away from him. “Please, just...just go, alright?”

She heard the rustle of his clothes when he stood followed shortly by her door clicking shut. When she turned her head back he was gone. She laid in bed and cried herself into a restless sleep.

* * *

The barrier was simple to get through. Kikyo never had any problems getting past Naraku’s defenses and this was no exception; it fell to a single arrow. The corrupt shard would be another matter though as she wanted to control, not destroy.

As Kikyo approached she could feel it’s power reaching for her, trying to work it’s way into her mind. She had her own barrier up of course, and for now it was holding. She stopped a few paces away from the tree and pulled out four paper ofuda. She held them up to charge them with her power then threw them to surround the shard, creating a diamond shape.

Then she knelt, facing the tree, and began to meditate and focus her power. She could feel Naraku’s evil intent, still reaching for her, trying to penetrate her barrier. He was connected to the shard, she could almost feel him through it. There was no doubt he would be drawn by her interference.

She heard someone enter the clearing behind her and was shocked when she felt Inuyasha’s yoki flaring. He shouldn’t be back yet, he would try to stop her. She stood up and turned to face him but she wasn’t prepared for the sight that met her.

Inuyasha’s yoki was glowing red around him, ruffling his long hair. He held tessaiga in both hands in front of him, poised to attack, his stance ready for battle. She could hear a deep growl rumbling in his chest that sent a shiver of fear through her.

But it was his face that had her heart racing. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying, his face tear-stained, and his mouth was twisted in a scowl. He wasn’t even looking at her, he was focused on the tree. Whatever had happened on the other side of the well had left him angrier and more upset than she’d ever seen him. And it scared her.

She finally shook herself from her stupor and shouted at him, “You should not be here!”

His eyes focused on her and she almost regretted her outburst. “Funny, you couldn’t wait to trap me here before. Why the change of heart?”

He was being harsh, he knew it. He couldn’t stop it though, his anger was in control. Kagome had almost died in his arms less than an hour before and he couldn’t even be by her side to help her recover. He would fix things now or die trying.

Kikyo quickly calmed her racing heart and tried to reason with him, “I just want to fix things Inuyasha. Obviously Naraku has corrupted your mind to turn you against me so I won’t blame you for your lack of judgement and rash actions. I can control the shard, I just need to concentrate. I can fix this.”

“Fix this how? I won’t let you erase her from my life! Why not just purify it and undo this shit completely? Let things go back to the way they were before?”

“Do you want to betray me that much Inuyasha? Do you really want to abandon me for that girl, that useless copy? You are no better than Naraku then!” She was trying to hurt him with her words. If he wouldn’t listen to reason then she would use his anger against him.

He flinched at her words and his growl grew louder. “I don’t want to abandon anybody so don’t insult me. This isn’t just about you and me, other people have died because of this. Shippo and Kohaku are just the ones I know about so why don’t you move so I can get to the shard and try to fix this my way.” He pointed Tessaiga past her.

Kikyo raised a hand in front of her, closed her eyes, and waited to feel the pull of the rosary. This would be much easier with him pinned to the ground. She snapped her eyes open when she didn’t hear the impact and was shocked to see him still standing there, eyebrow raised.

“Having some trouble? Wouldn’t have come back if you could stop me that easily.”

“How?! Only I-” she fumed.

He cut her off, “Kagome. She took them off, no questions asked. Kikyo, you need to listen to me. You’re doing exactly what Naraku wants. He’s trying to turn us against each other, again. We can’t let that happen.”

“Don’t you understand? I’m doing this for us. This is so we can be together, always.” She took a few steps towards him and held a hand out in his direction.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He needed to get his anger under control for this. This was a conversation he never wanted to have, especially under these kinds of circumstances. Things needed to be out in the open though if he had even a small chance of making her understand.

“You know we can’t be together in this life. Our time passed Kikyo, Naraku made sure of that. I don’t wanna see you die at the hands of that bastard again but I want your soul to find peace and be able to rest. That body-”

Her hand dropped back to her side and she cut him off, “I’m well aware of the limitations of this body. My intention was never to be together in this life and you know it. You told me your life was mine Inuyasha, and that my life was yours, in this life and the next.”

“That was before I had a reason to keep living. I have people I care about now, people who give a shit about me, people who would risk their life for me, people who would be really pissed if I just threw my life away.”

“And you don’t care about me?” she asked, genuine sadness in her voice.

“Of course I do dammit,” he insisted. “I do my best to try to protect you. I vowed to kill Naraku so you wouldn’t have to fight. I fucking run to you any time you’re around to make sure you’re alright, even though I know…” he stopped and focused his attention behind Kikyo.

“Finish your thought. What do you know?”

“He knows no matter what he does, no matter how often he runs to you, it will never be enough. I will be the one to claim your life, Kikyo,” Naraku finished.

“Naraku!” Inuyasha shouted and leapt forward past Kikyo, Tessaiga ready to strike.

Kikyo turned, following Inuyasha’s movements. She was too close to her goal to let anyone interfere. She decided to take advantage of the interruption to strike while his guard was down. “Inuyasha, wait!”

He turned and saw Kikyo ready an arrow...and aim it at him. “What the fuck?! Are you actually working with him?!”

“I told you, I’m doing this for us.” She released her arrow straight at Inuyasha.

He tried to dodge but she was too close and he honestly didn’t think she’d actually shoot him, again. The arrow caught him squarely in the left shoulder and immediately sent a wave of pain through his entire body. He hit the ground with a shout and laid there until the jolts of her power stopped tearing through him.

He was finally able to reach up and yank out the arrow then roll himself to his knees. His now black hair fell over his shoulder and pooled on the ground below him. He was in serious trouble.

Naraku's cruel laughter echoed around him. “Inuyasha, I don’t think I’ve ever had the privilege of witnessing your weak human form. It’s disgusting.”

Kikyo stepped between them and fired another arrow, this time at Naraku. The arrow hit his barrier and took it down in a flash of power. “You’re next Naraku. I will end this today!” She let another arrow fly and it took Naraku directly in the chest. His body tore apart, the pieces floating around his head.

“Have you not learned Kikyo? You can’t defeat me with your measly power.” His body started to reassemble itself and he sent a barrage of tentacles at the two attacking him.

Inuyasha and Kikyo both started dodging back and forth, using bow and sword to fend off what they couldn’t avoid. Kikyo fired off a few arrows, purifying everything in their path. Inuyasha had his un-transformed sword in one hand and it’s sheath in the other. He used the sword to bat away tentacles and the sheath’s barrier as a shield.

It was too much for the two human’s to handle. Inuyasha was having too many close calls, it was only a matter of time before something snuck past his defenses. He brought the sheath up with his left arm to block another attack and a stab of agony shot through his shoulder from his injury. He brought his right arm around, swinging tessaiga in an arc to knock more tentacles away. He could hear Kikyo moving, still firing arrow after arrow. How many did she have left?

Kikyo reached behind her and grasped at air; she was out of arrows. She swung her bow, batting at Naraku, but it was no use. She tried to dodge but there were too many and she was the first to fall. A tentacle ripped at her right side, knocking her off her feet and breaking her bow. The last thing she saw was Inuyasha trying frantically to get to her, shouting her name.

Inuyasha tried to reach her but he was never going to make it. He couldn’t lift his left arm anymore and the blood loss was starting to make him dizzy. He felt Naraku pierce straight through his shoulder, right where Kikyo’s arrow had connected. Another appendage ripped through his left side, spinning him in the air when it pulled back out. He hit the ground hard and waited for the finishing blow.

Through the pounding in his head he heard running footsteps followed by Sango’s shouted, “ Hiraikotsu!” before the darkness finally took him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my goal was angst. I have no idea if that's what I achieved so let me know if I came close. Also I reread this chapter too many times cause I couldn't get it right in my head so naturally I have no idea how it turned it. Hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
> Next 2 and a half chapters are done so I'll probably stick to Sunday or Monday releases.


	8. Slow Recovery

Kagome came back to consciousness slowly. She was aware of a heavy weight draped across her body and realized it was her blanket. She wanted to check her surroundings but her eyes felt glued shut.

She tried to talk, to call out for her mother or Inuyasha, but it only came out as a whimper. Someone must have been nearby though because a cool cloth was pressed to her forehead.

“Kagome? Can you hear me?” came her mother’s concerned voice.

“Mama,” she finally managed to croak. It took a few more tries but she eventually managed to crack open her eyes. The light was blinding though and she quickly squeezed them shut again.

There was a rustling noise to her right and the light dimmed against her eyelids. She slowly opened her eyes again and turned her head so she could see her mother.

“Mama, what happened? Where’s…?” she cut off, afraid to ask where _he_ was, their parting coming back to her in a rush.

“Inuyasha isn’t here. He told me you collapsed from a headache and that he had to leave to fix things before they got worse.” Her mother moved back to the side of her bed and sat on the edge. She re-wet the cloth in a bowl of cool water and placed it back on Kagome’s head. “He asked me to take care of you until he could return.”

“I told him to go. I...I remembered who Kikyo was and I told him to go,” she sniffled, her eyes burning with unshed tears. “I thought...I thought I meant something to him, but…” she couldn’t say it out loud, it still hurt too much.

“Oh Kagome, do you really think he doesn’t care about you?” She took her daughters hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Listen, we’ll talk more about him later, right now you need to move around a little and try to eat something.”

Kagome sat up with a little help from her mother. “How long have I been asleep?” she asked.

“Almost two days. Another few hours and I would have called the doctor.”

“Two days?! And he’s been gone the whole time?” She was crying now, struggling to control her emotions.

Her mother pulled her into a hug. “Kagome, it’s alright. Whatever happens I’ll help you get through it. Two days isn’t that long, I'm sure he’s doing whatever he can to come back for you.” 

They stayed that way for another minute until Kagome’s tears stopped. Her mother pulled away and stood up. “I’m going to get a bath ready for you then make you something to eat while you’re soaking.” She handed Kagome a glass of water that was sitting on her nightstand. “Here, drink what you can, you’re probably dehydrated. Take your time and if you need me for anything just shout.”

Kagome accepted the glass of water with shaky hands and took a few sips. She watched her mother pick up the bowl of water and cloth before leaving her alone.

It took her a few minutes but she eventually managed to stand on her own and make her way to the bathroom. The bath was ready to go and Kagome discarded her clothes and sunk into the steaming water. It immediately relaxed her tense muscles and she let out a little sigh of relief.

She closed her eyes and tried not to picture Inuyasha’s face before he left. The hurt that flashed in his bloodshot eyes had done a lot to cool her anger but not enough to stop her from pushing him away. And now she regretted it.

He’d saved her life and she repaid him with anger. He’d held her, talked her through her pain, cried and broke right along with her, and she told him to leave. He knew her well enough, cared enough about her, to know about her dad and to know his memory would be enough to save her. She didn’t talk to anybody about the day they lost him, not even her closest friends. But somehow Inuyasha knew…

She forced herself to focus on the present. Recovering had to be her number one priority so she could start coming up with ways to get to Inuyasha. She had to know the truth and she needed a clear head and her strength back to do that. 

The water started to cool some time later and Kagome took that as her cue to move from her comfortable position. She struggled a little less than when she’d crawled out of bed and took that as a good sign. Her mother would have food ready for her by now so she dried off, got dressed, and headed downstairs.

It took her longer than usual to eat but she wanted to make sure she got enough into her system. She didn’t really feel hungry but knew it was because she hadn’t eaten in two days. Her mother suggested a walk around the shrine to get her muscles moving and Kagome agreed.

By the time they’d made it around the shrine twice Kagome was exhausted. Her mother helped her back up to her room so she could get some more rest. She could only hope tomorrow would be better.

* * *

Kagome was making a slow recovery. Three days had passed since her collapse and Inuyasha’s departure and she was just starting to get some of her energy back. She stayed home from school and spent most of her day in bed or at her desk trying to study.

She also tried very hard not to think about the reason for Inuyasha’s quick exit. She was still having dreams but now they were mostly of Kikyo and Inuyasha, together. He’d said things weren’t what they seemed in the visions, and maybe that was true, but it didn’t help her cope. She should have let him explain before pushing him away but the emotions connected to those visions were too strong. Jealousy, envy, hate, and overwhelming amounts of love warred in her heart when she thought about Kikyo and Inuyasha. It was exhausting.

So instead she focused on math, letting the equations numb her brain to anything else. She was seriously behind in all of her subjects anyway, apparently due to all the traveling she couldn’t remember. She wasn’t even sure she wanted things to go back to ‘normal’ anymore. It was hard to see any positives to going back at the moment.

Her mother was being her usual supportive self. She gave kagome her space but was always available if Kagome needed her. She didn’t force her to go to school or interact with her brother and grandfather. When her friends called looking for her, she told them Kagome wasn’t feeling well and wasn’t really up for visitors.

The only person to get past her mother’s defenses so far had been Hojo. His persistence and the fact that they were technically dating gave him an advantage. Kagome agreed to see him, she wasn’t doing much of anything else anyway. They sat in the kitchen to talk to avoid any awkward advances. Not that Hojo would ever try anything but Kagome wasn’t even up for something as small as a hug from the boy.

“Higurashi, you’ve missed a lot of school since your incident. Are you sure you’re alright?” Hojo asked worriedly.

“Mmm, I’m alright Hojo, just tired,” she assured him. The incident the week before, her collapse in her classroom, felt like ages ago. Had it really been only a week?

“Here, I got you something.” He handed her a small bag. “They should help improve your health.”

“Thank you Hojo, you didn’t have to get me anything,” she insisted. She pulled a small jar out the bag and set it on the table.

“Umeboshi are good for you. Eat them!” Hojo gave her one of his ‘I’m helping’ smiles.

He really was a sweet boy, too bad Kagome was apparently in love with a two-timer. She sighed when her thoughts drifted back to Inuyasha, even with Hojo sitting across from her. She really was hopeless.

“Higurashi, maybe you should eat one now. You look more tired all the sudden.”

“It’s fine Hojo, just got lost in my head for a second.” She tried to give him a reassuring smile but it came off as more of a grimace.

He still looked concerned but took it in stride and changed the subject. “Hmm, well if you’re up for it I can help you study. You must be behind missing an entire week of school.”

“Uh, sure. Let me run upstairs and grab my books,” she agreed reluctantly. She really did need the help.

She excused herself and made her way upstairs. She had her math book out and ready to go so she grabbed that off her desk and started back downstairs. Her mother caught her in the upstairs hallway.

“Kagome, is Hojo ok? Did you want him to leave?” she asked, ready to run interference if her daughter needed it.

“No Mama, we’re going to study. I’m more behind than I realized and I need to keep myself occupied anyway. Thank you though.”

“No problem dear. Just let me know if you need an exit plan.”

“I will, I promise,” she insisted before heading back to the kitchen.

Hojo had started making tea while she was upstairs and was pouring when she finally rejoined him. She thought again how nice it would be to fall for someone like Hojo, someone loyal and kind, but quickly pushed that thought aside. 

She thanked him for making tea and sat down, spreading her textbook and notebook out on the table. They spent the next hour going over things she should have learned weeks ago. The challenging material provided a much needed distraction for her 

Kagome walked Hojo to the top of the shrine steps when they were done studying. He left with the promise to come check on her that weekend and help her study some more. He would more than likely also bring her something for her health.

Now that Kagome was outside she figured she could probably clear her mind with some fresh air. The problem was her favorite spot, under the sacred tree, now had some negative associations that she wasn’t sure she was ready to deal with. She had a serious debate with herself for a minute and decided she’d have to face the music eventually anyway so why not now.

Hojo’s visit and study session had helped clear her head enough to face a little of what she was dealing with, at the very least. She went and took her spot on the bench by the tree. Her eyes closed and she focused on the sounds around her: birds, leaves rustling, Sota kicking a soccer ball in another part of the shrine, the distant rumble of cars on the road below the shrine.

She took a few deep breaths and let herself think of Inuyasha. His absence was starting to worry her and not just because of Kikyo. If he were hurt or stuck on the other side of the well she would have no way of knowing. The idea of never seeing him again made her feel a little dizzy and her stomach clenched with anxiety.

Whatever was going on it was clearly dangerous and he left to face it on his own, as far as she knew. There was so much she didn’t know, so much she couldn’t remember, and it frustrated and scared her in equal measure. She was also beginning to notice how much _safer_ she felt with Inuyasha around.

She let out an exasperated sigh and pushed herself up off the bench. Dinner would be ready soon and her body was letting her know she wasn’t going to be awake much longer after that. She trudged her way towards the house and was halfway there when she heard Sota calling her for the evening meal.

She could only hope that food and a good night's sleep would allow her to deal with things come morning.

* * *

Inuyasha was pretty sure he was dead or, at the very least, dying. He could vaguely remember the injuries he’d received in his fight against Naraku. He knew his shoulder and side were both run through, the steady burning pain on his left side a constant reminder of his failure. He didn’t know much outside of that though.

He knew he wasn’t healing like he should and that bit of information was gnawing at his mind, insisting that he remember...something. He couldn’t grasp the memories though, too lost in pain and weak with blood loss to think beyond his little bubble of agony.

Sometimes he caught snippets of conversation around him. If he was still alive (and how could he not be, death wouldn’t hurt this much) then the voices probably belonged to whoever was taking care of him. He couldn't think of who that would be but it would probably all come back to him in time. Or he would die and it wouldn’t matter anyway.

He would probably welcome death soon. The pain he could endure; he’d had injuries just as bad and worse in the past. Knowing he’d failed someone, that was harder to cope with, but if he lived he’d at least have a chance to fix things...he hoped. 

It was the nightmares that he couldn’t deal with. Vague shapes were torn apart over and over right in front of him and a woman screamed his name, begged him to help her, to stop her pain. The voice was so achingly familiar but he couldn’t place a name to it. He only knew he cared deeply for the owner of the voice and he’d do anything to stop her pain.

But he couldn’t because he’d failed.

He had no idea how much time was passing. It could’ve been minutes or days or even months. His yokai blood should have started healing him immediately but he felt like he was only getting worse. Maybe this was his punishment for failing and he’d just stay like this forever.

At some point the voices around him began to clear and he could make out a few words. He heard a woman say something about shouki and a man mention purification. Was he poisoned? Were they trying to purify the shōki that was preventing him from healing?

He felt like he was missing something, some important piece of the puzzle that would explain everything. He let the pain take him for a while, the little energy he had spent. 

“It doesn’t look good. He’s not recovering like he should.”

“Could he die from this?”

“If he doesn’t start to heal soon…”

*

“His bleeding has finally stopped. How does anyone survive three days after losing that much blood?”

“He’s stubborn. That’s the only explanation I can come up with.”

*

“The herbs you’re using are doing wonders.”

“They are doing their job fighting the effects of the shōki. He needs to return to normal to have any hope of a complete recovery though.”

“This is a problem. You don’t think it’s permanent do you?”

*

“He should wake up soon now that his yokai blood can finish healing him.”

“I was really starting to worry. How he survived four days in his condition…”

*

“How are we going to tell him?”

“I don’t know. He’s not going to take it well.”

“No, not at all, but at least it solves a few problems.”

“He won’t see it that way.”

“We have to tell him though. He’ll wake up soon...”

*

“Inuyasha? Hey, Inuyasha, can you hear me?”

He groaned and fought his way towards consciousness. The pain had dulled dramatically over the last...well, he wasn’t sure how long it had been. A day maybe? He’d been hearing snippets of conversation for a while now also and he was struggling to make sense of what he was hearing.

“I think he’s coming around!”

“Let me see. Inuyasha, can you open your eyes?”

He could do that, right? His eyelids felt heavy but he was capable of lifting boulders, eyelids shouldn't be a challenge. He managed to get one eye cracked open enough to take in Kaede’s worried face.

“Wha-what hap…?” he croaked, unable to form a complete sentence. He got his other eye open and could see Sango and Miroku hovering over him.

“Don’t try to talk yet,” Kaede scolded. “You’ve been out for four days so you need to drink some water.”

Someone, Miroku probably, worked an arm under his shoulder and helped him into a sitting position. His body was still sore and his limbs were heavy with fatigue. A container was pressed to his lips and tilted so he could drink the water inside. He took a few gulps, breathed, then took a few more.

He worked his tongue around his still-dry mouth and coughed to clear his throat. “What happened?” he croaked.

He watched Miroku and Sango exchange looks but Kaede didn’t hesitate, “We think Kikyo purified you; Naraku attacked you both; Sango and Miroku saved you. It took three days for your yoki to return and another day for you to finally wake up. You’re healed but it’ll probably take some more time before you feel like yourself again.”

He took that all in, trying to recall the fight. He remembered Kikyo’s arrow taking him in the shoulder and his shock when his black hair fell around him. He recalled dodging Naraku’s attacks and trying to get to Kikyo because…

“What happened to Kikyo? He got her, I tried to get to her but…” he trailed off, trying not to panic. He was getting dizzy, all his strength draining away.

“Hey, stay with us,” he heard Miroku trying to keep his attention.

“Inuyasha!” Sango this time.

“Give him some space,” Kaede instructed.

It was no use. He felt himself falling back towards the futon and the darkness took him again.

* * *

It was late, around midnight, and Kagome couldn’t sleep. Four days had passed since her brush with death and Inuyasha’s rapid departure. Her friends had come over earlier in the day to check on her and help her study. That had been a welcome distraction and she hadn’t pushed them to leave. They were there with her for a few hours after school until they all parted near dinner time.

Her family was leaving her alone, for the most part. She was sure her mother had a hand in that, probably warning her brother and grandfather that she needed space. They hadn’t even questioned her during dinner, letting the conversation stay on safe topics, like the history of the fish they were eating.

After dinner, Kagome had gone outside and took her spot on the bench near the tree. She was getting her energy back and had felt ready to face her situation with a clear head. She was hoping to find a way through the well using her memories since she hadn’t had any helpful dreams recently. There was also the matter of Kikyo and her relationship to Inuyasha to deal with.

She’d started by examining all the memories associated with the first few headaches, using her journal as a reference. It took almost an hour to sort through as much as she could, trying to recall as many details as possible. Unfortunately they hadn’t revealed much that pertained to her current situation and only really succeeded in confusing her more. 

What it had done though was give her a better look at her and Inuyasha’s relationship. From her first headache she could recall their small interactions by the campfire. She’d made him a cup of ramen and he took a place next to her to eat. He wasn’t shy about sitting close to her and she’d let her leg brush against his a few times. They had been smiling and blushing like a pair of teenagers on a first date and she could almost feel her heart flutter when his smile grew at the sight of her blush. She remembered settling into her sleeping bag curled up with Shippo (the boy with the tail, she could remember him better now) and taking one last longing look at Inuyasha before falling asleep.

Her second headache gave her a look at them in the modern world. She got a glimpse of his concern about a recent injury that she could no longer remember. While gathering and packing supplies they walked and stood close together, exchanged small smiles and glances, and brushed up against each other pretty frequently. He interacted with her family like...well like he was her boyfriend. He even carried her (ridiculously large) bag to the well for her like a boyfriend would. She didn’t even get mad when he caught her mid-fall and his hand ended up lingering in an intimate area.

They flirted, they spent time together, he was well acquainted with her family, she made him food, they were comfortable with casual physical contact...What the hell was he doing running off to see another woman?!

Maybe she really did just need context. Inuyasha made it clear that things were complicated so maybe he had an obligation to Kikyo or felt like he owed her something. That thought rang so true that it made Kagome gasp. But then again you didn’t embrace, kiss, and declare your devotion to an obligation.

Alright, so maybe it was time to dissect her latest set of memories, starting with the kiss. It turned out to be quite the history lesson. Kagome shouted all kinds of useful information while bound to a tree by Kikyo, watching her kiss Inuyasha then try to drag him to hell. Naraku, betrayal, and oh, he did love Kikyo; that hurt. But Kagome saved him, her voice breaking Kikyo’s hold and preventing his untimely demise at his previous lover’s hands.

As if trying to kill Inuyasha wasn’t enough, Kikyo’s follow-up performance in her second memory involved trying to kill Kagome after stealing something hanging around her neck. That time Inuyasha was the one to save her, though she’d been too scared to reveal to him what Kikyo’s real intentions were. And he’d told Kagome to have a little more confidence in him when she asked if he still loved Kikyo so maybe their love really was in the past.

The third memory hit hard and left her a little breathless. She could remember the entire scene, hiding behind a tree, watching Inuyasha pledge himself to Kikyo. She didn’t think she could ever forget the look he gave her when he realized what she’d witnessed. How had they come back from that? Was he really just stringing her along? How did they get to where they were today? It all felt like too much and the only person who could answer her questions was 500 years in the past.

She’d given up on thinking then, too worn out mentally and emotionally to face any more. She spent the rest of her evening in her room looking through her little journal and adding some notes here and there.

Now here she was, lying in bed, trying to shut her mind up so she could sleep. She closed her eyes and started counting down from 100. She made it all the way to the 20s before she finally drifted off.

_She was at the tree and she wasn’t alone. The woman from the well was there (Kikyo, she’s Kikyo!). They were standing side-by-side, facing away from the tree, surrounded by a sea of rolling pitch black smoke. She could feel the presence of the shard in her mind trying to will her to step into the abyss, let the smoke surround her, become her. She looked at Kikyo instead and they locked gazes._

_The woman reached over and took her hand before speaking, “We are different and the same. We share a heart, but not our own, and it will use it against you as it did me. Be cautious, keep your distance, and trust him.”_

_She watched, frozen in place, as Kikyo let go of her hand and walked calmly into the smoke. It rose around her, seeping into her skin, corrupting her. Her figure melted down into the swirling miasma and she was gone. Somewhere in the distance she heard laughter, low and dark._

Kagome awoke the next morning with a new sense of purpose. Her body felt lighter and her head felt clearer than it had in days. Her dream was fresh in her mind and she focused on two words, spoken by Kikyo: ‘trust him’. Of course she was talking about Inuyasha, about trusting Inuyasha. It was significant in a way she couldn’t remember, holding onto that trust. She would do it though, she would make sure to trust him.

“Mama, I’ll be gone for a little while but I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she promised on her way out the door an hour later. “I’m going to try the well.”

“Be careful dear, say hello to Inuyasha for me if you see him,” her mother responded, smiling at her daughter.

She was in the well house now, staring down the old structure. There couldn’t be any more hesitation. It would let her through now, she was sure.

She swung her legs over the side and pushed off.

* * *

When Inuyasha woke up again it was dark. The fire had died down to embers but he could see clearly in the low light. He sat up and took in his surroundings. Kaede and Sango were sleeping across the fire from him, Kirara cured up with Sango. Miroku sat near the door, back to the wall, watching Inuyasha.

He could see the sky starting to lighten through the slats of the hut’s single window. He was restless, too aware of how much time was passing. It had to be going into day five since he left Kagome and he knew she’d be worried.

He made eye contact with Miroku and gave him a quick nod. They both stood and slipped out of the hut quietly, walking a little ways away so as not to wake the women sleeping inside. They stood in silence for a few moments, watching the sun rise over the horizon.

“We were worried you may not make it,” Miroku finally started. “You were human for most of your recovery.”

Inuyasha grunted, “Kikyo shot me and purified me. We didn’t stand a chance against Naraku after that.”

“We guessed that’s what happened but we couldn’t be sure. Do you know why she shot you?”

“Not a clue. She was pissed because the rosary didn’t work anymore but purifying me for that seems like a bit much, even for her.” Inuyasha rolled his left shoulder, testing for pain or stiffness. It moved freely and he only felt a small twinge right where the arrow had struck.

Miroku eyed his movements but he was already well aware of Inuyasha’s healing abilities. “Kaede has a theory. She said Kikyo’s aura glowed with the same light as the corrupted shard in the tree and was worried that it had actually possessed her, or was at least influencing her.”

Inuyasha frowned and sighed, “It would explain a lot. Is she still being controlled, or influenced, or whatever?”

Miroku didn’t answer right away. Inuyasha could hear him take a deep breath and let it out slowly. A heaviness settled in Inuyasha’s gut and he suddenly knew what was coming.

“I’m sorry Inuyasha, we didn’t make it in time to save you both. Kaede tried to get to her but…” Miroku trailed off.

Hearing it out loud hurt more than Inuyasha anticipated. He squeezed his eyes closed but it didn’t stop the tears from escaping. He took a few shaky breaths, trying to calm his pounding heart. He tried telling himself that she would be fine once they fixed things but the uncertainty was killing him.

“Did she suffer?” he asked, his voice breaking.

“She was gone before Kaede could reach her.” Miroku placed his hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder and squeezed. “I’m sorry, my friend. Maybe if we fix things it will undo the last few days and she will be alright.”

Hearing his thoughts echoed out loud was a small but short-lived comfort. To fix things he would need Kagome. He couldn’t fail again, he couldn’t lose them both. Kikyo hurt but losing Kagome would kill him.

“I’m going to have to bring Kagome here but I’m not doing that until we prepare. I’m not gonna let Naraku get the jump on us again.”

“I will talk with Kaede, we should be able to put up barriers and protections against the influence of the shard.”

“Good. I’m going to go to the tree to see what I can do. Maybe if I can destroy the shard-”

“It’s no use,” Miroku cut him off. “And it’s also dangerous. The closer you are to the shard the more likely you are to fall under its influence.”

“I don’t care. I won't put her in more danger. She already almost- I almost lost her Miroku. Kaede was right, she can’t handle all the conflicting memories.”

“All the more reason to take precautions and bring her through. She will be well protected, we just need to be prepared.”

It still left him with a bad feeling. Naraku knew that Kikyo was gone which meant he knew that Kagome would have to come through the well soon. They could prepare all they wanted but there was still going to be a fight. He didn’t even know if she could fire her arrows without her memories. She’d gotten better at staying out of trouble during their travels but this was going to be like her first few weeks here all over again. Only now instead of facing weak yokai with only one or two shards they would be facing Naraku with an almost complete jewel.

Maybe he could spend some time on her side to help her prepare. He could at the very least make sure she could still charge and fire her arrows. They would have to be quick though, he couldn’t risk any more memory slips. He wasn’t sure he could save her again.

He heard footsteps and turned to see Sango and Kaede making their way towards them. Sango was in her slayer clothes and had Hiraikotsu slung across her back. Kaede had her bow and a quiver of arrows. They were ready for whatever the day brought.

Inuyasha noticed that the villagers had started going about their day. The sun was much further above the horizon than he'd realized, time was still slipping away faster than he liked. He was about to start barking orders when he caught two scents that stopped his heart. He tensed and took a deep breath to be sure.

“Inuyasha, what’s wrong?” he heard Sango ask.

Kagome's here and I can smell Naraku nearby." He took off towards the well, not waiting to see if his friends followed.


	9. Hit the Mark

The first thing Kagome noticed was how much brighter it was at the bottom of the well. The leafy vines adorning the sides of the well, the soft dirt of the ground beneath her, and the roughness of the stone walls were all illuminated by the sun high above her. As she pulled herself up the side of the well she noticed how much cleaner the air smelled, car exhaust and pollution replaced by the sweet smell of plants and earth. When she emerged into the world above she paused and listened. There were no car horns, no planes flying overhead, no people shouting or conversing. Instead, she could hear birds, the soft rustling of leaves, the light breeze playing through the long grass, and the subtle creek that was unique to trees in a forest.

It was like stepping into a different world and she loved it. It was no wonder why she spent so much time on this side of the well. 

She shook herself for her reverie to study her surroundings. She needed to get her bearings and find Inuyasha before anything or anyone unpleasant could find her. She could see the sacred tree in the distance, towering over the forest and giving off a glow of power that wasn’t present in the modern world. She thought of heading in that direction but decided against it; she didn’t want to face it alone.

She took a few steps away from the well, still trying to decide on a direction when a feeling of dread shot through her. Her skin broke out in goosebumps and her heart started hammering in her chest. She spun in a full circle, trying to spot the source of her unease but she was still alone in the clearing.

“How convenient of you to come through all on your own.”

The voice was deep and taunting and caused Kagome’s body to tremble with the fear it instilled in her. Coming through the well alone suddenly felt like a terrible decision. She turned, planning to jump back through to safety, but was blocked by a man hovering in the air. Where the hell had he come from?

She froze in place and took in his appearance: the tentacles protruding from the man’s back, the slit in his chest containing a single red eye, the bony spikes adorning his shoulders, and the barrier that glowed all around him. This man was dangerous and he was here for her. Her heart cried out for Inuyasha, her protector, but she couldn’t find her voice to call for him out loud.

The man chuckled, clearly enjoying her terror. “Hello, Kagome. I know you don’t remember me but that doesn’t matter. You won’t be alive long enough to worry about it.”

He raised an arm and a bony spike grew from near his wrist. It shot towards Kagome and she instinctively jumped to the side, rolling as the spike gouged the ground where she had just been standing. She finally broke out of her stupor and scrambled to her feet. She turned to run but only got a few steps before she felt something wrap around her ankle and pull her off her feet. She hit the ground hard, scraping her hands and knees, causing her to cry out in pain. She didn’t have time to hesitate though so she immediately struggled to her feet and bolted towards the trees. She could hear the man laughing behind her and knew he was only toying with her.

She was halfway to the treeline when a blur of red emerged in front of her. Inuyasha was racing towards her, sword drawn and ready for a fight. Before he could get to her she felt herself being yanked backward and surrounded by a cage of bony protrusions. She watched Inuyasha skid to a halt, his face twisted with his rage, a deep rumbling growl emitting from his chest.

“Naraku! Let her go you bastard!” Inuyasha growled and Kagome’s eyes went wide at the name.

“Hmph, Inuyasha, are you sad you missed out on Kikyo’s demise? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get to witness Kagome’s final moments.”

She met Inuyasha’s eyes then and saw the pain and fear flash across his face before being replaced by his anger once again. A flash of white at the top of her field of vision caught her attention and she jerked her head up in time to see a boy with a naginata going straight for an unaware Inuyasha.

“Inuyasha!” she tried to shout a warning and Inuyasha jerked his head up just in time to see the blade racing towards him. He brought Tessaiga up at the last second and the weapons met in a blast of power. He hadn’t had time to brace for the impact though so the force of the weapons meeting sent Inuyasha flying backward into a tree. The tree gave way under the force of the impact and Kagome lost sight of him the debris

She yelled Inuyasha’s name again but Naraku was already on the move, turning her away from the fight. They were floating in the direction of the sacred tree and she could already feel the effects of whatever was waiting for her. Her dreams came back to her and the feeling of being consumed brought her to the edge of panic.

She started struggling, trying to find a way to wiggle free of her cage of bone, but he had her held too tightly. She felt something sharp press against her neck and instantly stilled her movements.

They floated down into the clearing and stopped in a very familiar spot; this was where she stood in her dreams. She could feel the power of the tainted shard trying to invade her, take her over. She concentrated on putting up a mental barrier but it was taking everything she had and she knew she couldn’t keep it up for long.

“Just let go, Kagome. The pain will stop and you can forget all about Inuyasha and Kikyo. It must be painful, knowing how much he loves her.”

She whimpered and tried not to cry. How he knew exactly what to say to get under her skin, she wasn’t sure. It was clear that Naraku was both cruel and manipulative to a scary degree. She was still fighting with everything she had left but it was a losing battle. The edges of her vision were starting to blur and her body was going numb.

She heard sounds of fighting behind her but her strength was quickly leeching away and she was slipping into a mental fog. She felt her body jerk backward and suddenly she was falling. She lost consciousness before she hit the ground.

Inuyasha pulled himself from the twisted remains of the tree he’d been knocked into and immediately jumped at his attacker. He fired off a quick kaze no kizu then changed directions and started after Naraku. He heard Hakudoshi cursing behind him and knew he wasn’t far behind. He twisted in mid-jump just in time to avoid another swing of the naginata and managed to swing Tessaiga enough to unleash another kaze no kizu at point-blank range.

It was enough to knock Hakudoshi back and put a significant distance between them. He bolted, dodging expertly through the trees. He made it to the clearing in time to see Sango and Miroku emerge to his right. Sango spotted Hakudoshi first and immediately sent her  Hiraikotsu hurtling in his direction. Inuyasha and Miroku used the distraction to head straight for Naraku. 

His back was to them so Miroku couldn’t see that he had Kagome. Before Inuyasha could shout a warning he had the kazaana open. It pulled Naraku backward and he dropped Kagome to dig the bony spikes into the ground. Miroku spotted Kagome and closed the kazaana while Inuyasha dashed forward to catch her, sheathing Tessaiga and reaching for her in one swift motion.

He made it before she hit the ground and caught her under the knees and shoulders. He leaped away from Naraku and looked down to see she was unconscious. Landing near the edge of the clearing he turned in time to see Naraku and Hakudoshi making a quick retreat.

“Inuyasha,” he heard Miroku call him. “You have to get her away from the tree. Take her to the village.”

He grunted in acknowledgment and took off in the direction of Kaede’s hut. As he got closer to the village Kagome started to stir. By the time they were in the village her eyes were open and she was gazing up at him, expression unreadable. He could hear Kaede moving around inside her hut and took Kagome straight in.

“Old woman, I need you to check over Kagome.”

Kaede looked up from whatever she was doing and was only slightly surprised to see the girl in Inuyasha’s arms. She was quite used to these interruptions and surprises by now. “Abrupt as ever I see. Bring her over and lay her on the futon.”

Kagome was too dazed to protest and let herself lay back and be examined. She felt alright, just worn out from resisting whatever was trying to invade her mind.

“Inuyasha, I’m alright, really,” she was finally able to say. She pushed herself up and Inuyasha moved quickly to help her. He kept an arm around her shoulders, supporting her so she could lean back a little. “Whatever he was trying to do I was able to resist. It just wore me out is all.”

Inuyasha didn’t look convinced and was about to protest when he was interrupted by the arrival of Miroku and Sango. They put their weapons aside and settled by the fire. The group formed a rough circle and Inuyasha adjusted his position so he and Kagome were facing everyone else. Nobody commented when Inuyasha left his arm around her shoulders.

It was obviously time for a long discussion. Sango and Miroku confirmed that their enemies had escaped but that wasn’t a surprise. There were brief, and slightly awkward, introductions between Kagome and everybody else. She apologized for forgetting everyone but nobody held that against her; they forgot who she was too after all. Inuyasha stayed silent for most of it, lost in his thoughts.

Kaede and Kagome fell into a conversation mostly between the two of them while everyone else listened.

“So, uh, I think I have to do something to the tree or at the tree to undo whatever happened to make everyone forget.” Kagome fidgeted and focused on her hands as she talked.

“No need to be nervous, child, Inuyasha has discussed some of your dreams with us already.”

Kagome raised her head and gave Kaede a grateful smile. She felt Inuyasha squeeze her shoulder and leaned into him a little more. “I can’t get close though. It tried to get into my head already and I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop it next time.”

“We’ll need to take certain precautions before we attempt anything. I’m sure we can use a barrier or enchantment to protect you. Perhaps you can use an arrow to purify the evil from a distance.”

Kagome shook her head, “I can’t, I don’t know how-”

“Yes you do,” Inuyasha interrupted her. “I'm sure once you get your hands on a bow you’ll be able to use it.” She gave him a confused look and he tried to explain, “You’ve been using a bow since you first came here and you’ve gotten pretty good with it. I don’t think you can completely forget something like that.” 

Kagome nodded, hoping he was right. “Alright, how long will all this take?”

“We’ll get started tonight but I think you should wait until tomorrow to do anything,” Kaede suggested. “You’re going to want to be at full strength for whatever may happen.”

“I should practice with a bow just to make sure.” Kagome looked at her hands and flexed her fingers. “I can still feel my miko powers but I don’t know how to focus them.”

“That will also come naturally. I do have another concern though about a danger we have yet to talk about.”

“What danger, old woman?” Inuyasha asked. He sat up a little straighter and Kagome felt him tense up.

“What will happen if Kagome succeeds?” Kaede asked. “We know you’ll be fine Inuyasha, you can handle the conflicting memories. Miroku and Sango should be fine also; I’m confident they will forget the false memories. But Kagome is not affected like everyone else. What happens if she retains all her memories?”

Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged worried looks, both thinking of the incident right before they separated. The implication was clear: Kagome could die. They could fix everything and lose her in the process.

“Then we don’t do it,” Inuyasha said and pulled Kagome tighter against his side.

“Inuyasha, I have to do something-” Kagome tried to protest but Inuyasha cut her off.

“I don’t care. I’m not risking your life, not for anything.”

“We can’t just leave things the way they are though.”

“I know that. But until I know we’ve taken enough precautions I’m not letting you anywhere near that damn tree.” His voice was getting louder and his mouth was twisted in a scowl.

“And what if we can’t take enough precautions? What if we just have to take the risk?”

He glared at her but he didn’t have an answer. Shippo and Kohaku were dead, he couldn’t leave that be. As long as they did nothing she would be at risk of him remembering something and potentially killing her. Leaving things as is wasn’t realistic but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

Miroku interrupted his pouting, “We will take every step we can to protect Kagome. That is all we can do. Kaede and I will begin our preparations tonight so we will be ready for tomorrow. Does that satisfy you Inuyasha, Kagome?”

Kagome nodded in agreement and Inuyasha continued to pout but gave a single jerk of his head. Miroku and Kaede discussed a few more things before leaving to start making preparations. They were going to put up a barrier around the tree to try to contain the corruption then create a charm for Kagome to wear to ward off evil. Sango also left, mumbling about finding Kirara and sharpening her weapons.

Inuyasha and Kagome were left alone in the hut and their position suddenly felt very awkward. Kagome tried to move away but he pulled her closer with a quick, “No, stay...please.”

She stopped trying to pull away but didn’t relax into him as she had before. “Inuyasha, we need to talk. We shouldn’t be doing this if you love someone else, right?”

He gave her an odd look and his ears drooped. “I told you I want you by my side Kagome, that hasn’t changed.”

“And Kikyo?” she asked then remembered what Naraku said. Her breath hitched and she watched Inuyasha bow his head, his bangs covering his eyes.

“She’s dead Kagome. Even if we fix things, even if she can come back, she’s still dead. Her body is clay and soil and she sustains herself with the souls of dead women.”

That didn’t make Kagome feel any better. “Do you still love her?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” She tensed and tried to pull away again but he was much too strong for her. “Will you let me explain?”

“I don’t want to hear it, please. Whatever thing we have going on normally, I don’t want to know. It can’t be healthy or good if you’re with me while you love someone else.” She kept struggling but instead of letting her go, he pulled her so she was sideways with her legs across his lap.

He met her eyes and all the fight went out of her at the sad look he was giving her. “Stubborn woman. Whatever I had with Kikyo was in the past. I’d have to die to be with her and I don’t want to do that.”

“You told her your life was hers. I know you did, I was there.”

“Shit, I hate that you saw that,” he sighed and used the arm around her shoulder to pull her against his chest. “Things are different now. I felt like I owed her my life back then but I don’t think that anymore. I want to live, Kagome, and that’s because of you.”

She let her head rest on his shoulder and relaxed into him. It felt right being this close and she really didn’t want to fight it anymore. “I suppose none of this will matter if...when I fix things. Everything should go back to how it was before.”

Inuyasha grunted in agreement but his thoughts went somewhere else. He didn’t plan to forget the last eight days, they were ingrained in his memory. The panic at waking up to her missing, the three days of wondering if she was even alive, the relief at finally finding her safe in her own time, getting to kiss her, really kiss her twice, holding her while she was literally dying...dying because he couldn’t keep his mind off Kikyo; there was no way things wouldn’t change between them, at least on his side.

He would worry about that later though, they had to fix things first.

“Hey, Inuyasha,” she said, her voice soft and a little hesitant. “Where’s the boy with the tail? Um, Shippo is his name, right?”

Shit. “He’s not here.”

“Ok, well, where is he?”

“The shard...he didn’t...shit.” He couldn’t tell her, even if she couldn’t properly remember him.

“It’s alright, you can tell me.” Her voice was soft and she slipped her free hand into his.

Could she read his mind? “He died. Whatever the shard changed he didn’t survive this time around. But he’ll be fine once you fix things.”  _ He hoped _ but he didn’t say that part out loud.

Kagome felt sad despite her inability to remember the boy. For her, it was just another reason to put things right. “I should get some sleep, it’s getting late and I need the rest.”

The sun was setting and the light in the hut was starting to fade. Inuyasha moved her off his lap and got up to add some wood to the fire. Kaede had some leftover stew from her lunch and he filled a bowl and handed it to Kagome.

“Here, you should eat something.”

She took the bowl, thanked him, and started eating. Inuyasha ducked out of the hut, leaving her alone with her thoughts for a moment. She was worried, not about what would happen to her, but about what would happen if she messed up tomorrow. Who else may have suffered because of Naraku’s plot? She knew of Shippo and Kikyo, did they have other friends who’d died in Naraku’s version of reality? How many people’s lives were dependent on her success?

It was almost too much to think about. She stirred the last few bites of food around her bowl, poking at the bits of meat. Her vision swam and she squeezed her eyes shut trying to fight the urge to cry. The door rustled and she felt someone take the bowl from her hands. She opened her eyes and saw Inuyasha placing the bowl with a pile of other dishes to be cleaned.

He moved in front of her and started to roll out a futon that she hadn’t noticed before. Once it was laid out flat he removed his suikan and held it out to her. “Here, it’ll keep you warm while you sleep.”

She blushed a little and took his offered clothing. She wrapped it around herself, inhaling the woodsy scent of the garment, and moved to lay on the futon. Inuyasha settled against the wall in her original spot, Tessaiga propped against his shoulder.

“I told everyone you were trying to get some sleep so they’ll be quiet when they get back.” He was blushing and looking everywhere but at her.

She blushed a little herself but gave him a small smile when he finally looked at her. “Thank you.”

“Keh, whatever.”

Kagome giggled at his surly response. “Goodnight Inuyasha.”

“G’night Kagome.” He was struck with a sense of deja vu and their last night around the campfire came back to him. If she wasn’t there when he woke up this time he might actually lose his mind. He probably wasn’t going to be able to sleep tonight.

He watched Kagome drift off to sleep, listening to her breathing and heartbeat slow and even out. The prospect of ending this shit in the morning lifted his spirits some but the worry over Kagome’s safety still nagged at his thoughts. It was going to be a long night.

Kagome woke up to sunlight shining on her face. She squinted and rolled away from the window only to be met with a pair of gold eyes staring back at her. Inuyasha was lounging next to her on his side, back against the wall.

“‘Bout time you woke up.”

She groaned and tried to pull the blanket over her head but quickly realized she was still wrapped in Inuyasha’s suikan. She blushed but pulled it tighter around her and discretely inhaled. She loved sleeping surrounded by Inuyasha’s woodsy smell, but he didn’t need to know that.

Of course, the smirk on his face probably meant he’d heard her inhale anyway; stupid enhanced senses. He pushed himself up off the floor and stood, stepping over her. “You gonna get up, or what?”

“Fine, fine, I’m getting up,” she huffed. She sat up and unwrapped herself. Inuyasha took his suikan back and helped her to her feet. “Is there somewhere I can clean up a little?”

“Outside. Sango is out there, she can show you.”

She mumbled a quick thanks and went outside to find the slayer. Inuyasha hung back a little, knowing she’d want some privacy. Pulling his suikan back on he allowed himself to breathe in her scent now surrounding him, giving him some small comfort. He followed her outside a few minutes later and found Miroku and Kaede waiting for him.

“Did you two get everything ready?” he asked as he approached them.

“As ready as we can be,” Miroku said. He handed Inuyasha a small bead bracelet. “That’s for Kagome to wear to keep the influence of the shard from reaching her. I’m assuming you’ll be staying close to protect her.”

“I’m not leaving her side.” Inuyasha studied the enchanted bit of jewelry. It wasn’t enough, nothing would be enough to make him feel alright about what she had to do. His ears perked and swiveled towards two sets of approaching footsteps.

Kagome still looked tired but she also looked determined. She and Sango joined the small group and they made a few quick plans for the rest of the morning. Kaede was going to take Kagome to practice with a bow and arrows while Miroku showed Inuyasha what they’d set up the night before. Sango decided to stay behind to watch Kagome since it was the only way Inuyasha would agree to leave her side. Inuyasha gave Kagome the bead bracelet while Miroku explained its purpose then the group went their separate ways.

Kaede led the two women to an area with a target set up and handed Kagome her weapon. She showed Kagome the proper hold and gave her a brief explanation of how to focus her powers. It was clear with Kagome’s first shot that they didn’t need to worry.

Kagome drew back her first arrow and immediately felt her power flowing out of her and into the projectile. She let the arrow fly with a muttered, “Hit the mark.” It struck the target dead center and she let out a little whoop of joy at her success. A few more practice arrows later, all with the same level of accuracy, and Kagome was feeling much more confident.

The three women set off towards the forest, all agreeing there was no point in delaying what needed to happen.

While the women were starting their walk to the tree, Miroku and Inuyasha were surveying the area around the clearing. Miroku and Kaede had set up a barrier around the perimeter, just outside the treeline. It was there for containment since they weren’t sure if the shard could influence anyone else, especially Inuyasha, given his connection to the tree.

There were also several sutras on the tree itself and Miroku had an extra stack ready in case anything crazy happened.

It felt like too much and not enough at the same time. The real worry was what would happen to Kagome if she succeeded but they couldn’t do much to prepare for that. Inuyasha spent most of his night going over that particular problem and had come up with nothing.

Now it was almost time to undo this mess and he didn’t feel the least bit ready. He could smell the women getting closer and his anxiety shot through the roof. He didn’t feel scared very often, his own life didn’t matter enough for that. But when Kagome was involved he was reminded of what real fear felt like, and he hated it. It left him feeling helpless and weak and vulnerable.

He grunted some excuse at Miroku and took off in the direction of Kagome’s scent, determined to get a few minutes alone with her for his peace of mind. He wasn’t far from them when another scent caught his attention. His growl was low as he drew Tessaiga; Naraku was back.

In the distance, he heard Kagome scream and he took off in her direction as fast as he could. The sounds of fighting reached him and he shouted Kagome’s name so she knew he was coming. He flew out into the middle of the action and got a quick look around.

Naraku was to his right, looking pretty pissed off. Sango was in front of him, riding Kirara, with Hiraikotsu drawn back ready to be thrown. Kaede and Kagome were far to his left both with arrows aimed at Naraku. Inuyasha went straight for Kagome with the intent of running her to the tree to end this. Unfortunately for them, Naraku still had backup. Hakudoshi emerged from the trees behind Kagome and Inuyasha shouted a warning. He made it in time to block Hakudoshi’s swing at Kaede but the movements caught the older woman off guard and she fell backward, tossing her bow in an unsuccessful attempt to gain her balance.

While Inuyasha traded blows with Hakudoshi, Kagome scrambled to help Kaede to her feet and away from the fighting. They made it to the cover of some trees and kept moving, heading for their original destination. Kaede was breathing heavy and limping so Kagome slowed their pace.

“Are you alright? You’re injured, let me look.” Kagome stopped and tried to examine Kaede but she waved off the help.

“Go ahead child, get to the tree. They won’t bother an old woman like me and I’m only slowing you down.”

“But-”

“No buts, you must go.”

Kagome hesitated for a second but caught the determination on Kaede’s face. She gave a quick nod and turned towards the corrupted light in the distance. “I’m going to end this,” she said under her breath and took off running, arrows clattering around in their quiver, bow slung over her shoulder. The sounds of the battle behind her faded and she hoped Inuyasha and Sango were alright. She needed Inuyasha close by when she took her shot at the tree but she couldn’t afford to delay any longer.

She finally broke into the clearing and spotted Miroku off to her left. He waved her over and gave her an appraising look when she joined him. Her hair was windswept and sticking to her sweaty forehead, she was clearly out of breath, and her expression was worried.

“Did something happen?”

“Yeah, Naraku. Inuyasha and Sango are fighting so I ran here. I’m ready to get this over with.” She took a few deep breaths and willed her heart to slow down so she could concentrate.

Inuyasha knew something was wrong when Hakudoshi backed off and started trying to taunt instead of injure. He glanced around and noticed that Naraku and Sango were gone and he mentally kicked himself for letting himself get too wrapped up in the fighting to notice. He also realized Kagome and Kaede were missing and that’s when he knew Hakudoshi was just a distraction.

He growled and transformed Tessaiga before sending the  Kongōsōha straight at Hakudoshi, catching him off guard and giving Inuyasha time to escape. He followed Kagome’s scent straight towards the damn tree. She was definitely going to try to end this before anything else could go wrong and he needed to be there. Naraku was probably heading in that direction too and he could only hope that Sango kept him away long enough.

It was time to end this and Kagome was ready. It had taken a few minutes to get her breathing and heart rate under control and to stop the slight shaking of her hands. Now she was staring down her target, bow raised, an arrow drawn, her aim perfect. She wanted to wait for Inuyasha, wanted to see him one more time, just in case, but was worried about delaying any longer.

She took a deep breath and exhaled, letting her arrow fly. It streaked through the air, directly at her target, and hit. Instead of embedding itself in the tree though there was a flash of light and the arrow dissolved. 

“What happened? Did you see that?” she asked Miroku. Her hands were starting to shake again and she struggled to keep her composure.

“There was probably another barrier. Try again, we’ve still got time.”

As if on cue, Inuyasha came flying out of the trees and landed next to her.

“Inuyasha! You made it.” She couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across her face. Her nerves calmed and she felt steadier than she had before she took her first shot.

He pulled her into a tight hug and she wrapped the arm not holding her bow around his back. “You can do this Kagome. I’m right here now and I’m not going anywhere.” He released her and stepped back to give her room. “Naraku is still out there though so take your shot, quick.”

She nodded and got back into her stance. Her bow came up and she pulled her arrow back. Inuyasha watched her glow bright pink, the power seeming to flow down her arms and into the arrow. He could hear her take a deep breath to steady her shot. He looked up in time to see Naraku emerge into the clearing on the other side of Kagome. 

Naraku scowled when he saw how close they were to victory and sent several tentacles in their direction. Inuyasha pulled Tessaiga from its sheath and moved between Kagome and the oncoming attack. “Shoot it, now!” he shouted, and swung his sword with all his strength, obliterating everything in front of him.

He heard the thrum of the bowstring when she released, heard her mumble ‘hit the mark’, and turned his head to watch the path of the brightly glowing arrow. It struck dead center, embedding in the hole previously left by Kikyo. There was a tremendous shockwave and Inuyasha spun to try to catch Kagome. He didn’t reach her in time and he was blown off his feet, out into the forest. He hit a tree and slid to the ground. His vision blurred and he struggled to maintain consciousness but it was no use.

When he woke up it was almost dark; he’d been out for much too long. He jumped up and started sniffing the air, trying to find Kagome’s scent. He caught Miroku and Sango’s scents, faint but somewhere in the forest. Naraku and Hakudoshi’s scents were faded and stale so he knew they were gone.

There was no Kagome though. He was reliving eight days earlier, waking up in camp without her. Inuyasha rushed off through the trees, searching frantically. He found his two friends, unconscious but also unhurt. He found Kaede, unconscious and leaning against a tree. He took them all back to the village, laying them in Kaede’s hut before going back out again to find Kagome.

He would spend his whole night searching if he had to. Hell, he would spend the rest of his life searching if it came to it. And he would find her because Kagome couldn’t just be gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter and an epilogue to go. There's serious fluff in the next chapter, I promise.


	10. Never Again

One Month Later

The afternoon sun reflected off the small stream in which Inuyasha was currently standing. He was supposed to be catching fish for lunch but he was having one of his bad days and the most he could manage was a few half-hearted swipes at the surface of the water.

About a month had passed since they’d managed to ‘fix’ the things caused by Naraku’s corrupt shard. Inuyasha had managed to retain all his memories, even the false ones. Miroku and Sango were very confused when they woke up in Kaede’s hut when their last memory was falling asleep at camp eight days before that. It took them two days to find Shippo making his way back from that very same campsite, confused and scared, thinking they’d abandoned him. And Kagome…

Kagome was still missing. Inuyasha scoured the forest for her scent and when he found nothing he immediately went to the well in the hopes that she had been sent back to the other side. His small bit of hope was crushed when he jumped into the well and hit the dirt at the bottom, still on his own side of the well. He’d lost count of how many times he jumped in and out of the well that day but it never let him through. Even now they continued to travel back to the village frequently so he could try the well every few days during their journey.

Inuyasha took a few more swipes at the water he was standing in then hopped out and grabbed up the three fish he’d already caught. They would reach the village before sundown and he was impatient to get moving again. He stomped back to their little fire, set up along the side of the road they were traveling, and tossed the fish to Sango.

“You guys eat, I’m not hungry,” he mumbled then hopped up into a nearby tree before anyone could protest.

Sango sighed and started cleaning their lunch. It was just her and Miroku so three fish would be plenty.

After they’d found Shippo, they traveled back to the village to drop him off. He refused to travel away from the well without Kagome and Inuyasha couldn’t argue. If he could he would do the same thing and stay nearby. The poor kitsune was inconsolable for the first week and his mood hadn’t improved much since then.

Inuyasha had sat everyone down and gave them a brief explanation of the eight days none of them could remember. It was decided that they would go searching for Kikyo and Kohaku to confirm they were both still alive. Inuyasha was only a little surprised to find his worry for Kagome far outweighed his worry for Kikyo. 

They found Kikyo almost immediately. Apparently, Inuyasha wasn’t the only one who could remember everything and Kikyo had sought them out as soon as she realized she wasn’t dead...again. She made amends with the group, much to the surprise of everyone, and decided to travel with them for a while to try to help them figure out what happened to Kagome. She admitted she felt bad for her part in the whole mess, even if she was under the influence of the shard. She felt she should have been able to resist and Inuyasha didn’t argue.

During their travels with Kikyo, they’d managed to put an end to Hakudoshi, with Naraku’s help, unfortunately. It was a relief that he was gone but being used by Naraku left a bad taste in everyone’s mouths. Kagura had also met her end at the hands of Naraku and nobody took any pleasure in her demise. Towards the end she’d clearly just been trying to escape Naraku’s control, even going so far as to save Kohaku’s life.

Kikyo left the group not long after with Kohaku. She explained her plan to absorb Midoriko’s soul and purify Kohaku’s shard to use it against Naraku. There was some arguing but Kohaku was insistent and they’d been unable to stop the pair from leaving. Kikyo’s reason for leaving made some sense but it was also clear that she just couldn’t watch Inuyasha mourn Kagome’s absence anymore. 

Now they were heading back towards the village so Inuyasha could try the well again. He had his good and bad days but the bad definitely still outnumbered the good, by a lot. He barely spoke to his friends, was more aggressive than normal, and his patience was practically non-existent. After two weeks of his attitude, they’d had an intervention to explain that they were missing Kagome too and they would also give anything to have her back. That seemed to improve his mood but he still just wasn’t the same anymore.

Sitting at their little fire, cooking their lunch, Sango was tempted to tell Inuyasha to go on without them. She hesitated though, worried what he would do if he got into a fight on his own. He was always reckless in battle but he’d been downright negligent of his own safety for the last month.

Both she and Miroku shot occasional glances at their friend in the tree. He had his usual frown in place, his eyes unfocused. They weren’t sure how much longer they could go on like this.

Inuyasha’s thoughts, as always, were focused on Kagome. The only time he could get her off his mind was when he was fighting and even then he found himself looking around, instinctively checking for her safety. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if the well didn’t open. He at least needed to know she was safe, then maybe he could function again. He would try the well over and over, for as long as he needed, to get to her again.

He looked down at his friends and resisted the urge to scowl. It wasn’t their fault and he knew they also missed Kagome. There was a small part of him that was jealous though; at least they still had each other. One thing was for certain: if the well reopened Inuyasha would never let it separate them again.

Modern Day

“Mama, have you seen Kagome?” Sota jogged into the kitchen, soccer ball under one arm. “Hojo is outside looking for her.”

“Hmm, I thought she was up in her room. Have you checked upstairs?” Mrs. Higurashi moved around the kitchen table, heading for the stairs to call for her daughter. “I’ll get her, you go back to your friends.”

“Thanks, mama,” Sota called and ran back outside to rejoin his small soccer match.

Kagome’s mother made her way up the steps slowly. Her daughter was having a rough month and tended to spend most of her time either in her room reading her journal or outside by the sacred tree. 

They’d found her a month ago, curled up at the bottom of the well, crying hysterically. Her mother climbed into the well with her to calm her down and finally managed to get Kagome back up the ladder and into the house. Sitting in the kitchen with her mother, Kagome explained that she couldn’t remember anything past her 15th birthday. Her last clear memory was standing in the well house, Sota next to her, looking for Buyo. 

She was missing months of her life and Mrs. Higurashi’s heart had broken for her daughter. As time passed and Inuyasha didn’t come through the well she began to worry even more. What if the boy had died? Would that be enough of a shock for Kagome to lose her memories? The other possibility, that the well just didn’t work anymore, was somehow both better and worse. 

Kagome slept almost constantly for the first week, only leaving her room to eat and use the bathroom. Her memories started to come back slowly but they were all of the modern world. The large gaps and unexplained absences from school terrified Kagome and she sought out her mother often for comfort.

Two weeks ago she’d found her journal and things started to change.

Mrs. Higurashi made her way down the hall and stood outside her daughter’s bedroom door. “Kagome,” she called and knocked lightly on the bedroom door. “Are you in there dear?”

“Yes mama, you can come in,” Kagome responded, her voice shaky like she was trying not to cry. It wasn’t unusual for her mother to catch her during one of her breakdowns and Kagome was always grateful for her mother’s company.

Mrs. Higurashi pushed the door open and peeked into the room. Kagome was sitting cross-legged on her bed, back to the wall, staring intently at her journal. She was crying, letting the tears fall onto the small book. She had yet to change out of her pajamas for the day and her hair fell in messy waves around her shoulders.

The little journal had been a source of confusion at first. Kagome assumed it was a dream journal when she first started reading it and was amazed at the amount of detail she could recall. The more she read though the more apparent it became that the journal was so much more than that. By the time she reached the end of the journal, splitting the reading up over three days, her other memories were starting to surface.

She spent time by the tree more often after that, claiming it helped her remember. Her friends' names and faces all came back to her first, shortly followed by their enemies. She remembered the existence of the jewel, some of the battles she’d been involved in, the tragedies of her friends’ lives, and their goal of completing the jewel and defeating Naraku.

Two large pieces of the puzzle were missing though: how she managed to travel into the past and most of her memories of Inuyasha. 

Mrs. Higurashi moved into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Sota said Hojo is outside. Would you like me to tell him you’re not feeling well?”

Kagome shook her head and closed the journal, setting it on her nightstand. “No, I’ll see him. I need some air anyway.”

“Alright dear, just let me know if you need anything.” She reached out and squeezed her daughter’s hand. 

“Mama, can I ask you something...about  _ him _ ?” She couldn’t remember Inuyasha’s name or face or even the sound of his voice. He was no more than a streak of red and white in her memories, saving the day, blowing away enemies, protecting her and her friends. When she tried to think about it she got hit with wave after wave of strong emotions: relief, happiness, anger, pain, sadness, jealousy, and what felt like love.

“You can ask me anything, you know that,” her mother assured her.

Kagome clenched her hands in her lap and leaned her head back against the wall. Her eyes closed and a few stray tears leaked from under the lids. “How do I get to him? I think if I can see him, hear his voice, I may be able to remember. I just- I don’t know who he is and I miss him. How do you miss someone you don’t know?” She finally opened her eyes and gave her mother a pleading look.

That was not what her mother was expecting to hear. She’d contemplated telling her daughter about the well but the danger always seemed too great. If she remembered Inuyasha it would be different but since she didn’t there was no telling what would happen on the other side.

She couldn’t deny her daughter the answer to her question, no matter how worried she was. “You have to go through the well, it will take you to him and your friends.”

Kagome’s eyes went wide and she sat up straighter. “I think...I think I remember. I just jump in and it takes me to the past. Right?”

Her mother nodded and a glimmer of hope made her heart beat faster. Maybe she  _ would _ remember if she saw him. Maybe that was all it would take. “You have to be ready for it though. It’s not safe like it is on this side. You have to be careful and take precautions.”

“I know Mama. I can remember everything but him so I’ll be alright.” Kagome practically jumped off her bed, excited to finally have the possibility of meeting the mystery man. She started pulling out clothes so she could change.

“I’ll meet you downstairs and walk to the well with you,” her mother said then left the room.

Kagome waited until her door was closed and got changed into her school uniform. Mention of the well unlocked something in her mind and she was flooded with memories of jumping and climbing in and out of the old structure. She bounded down the stairs, more energetic than she’d felt in weeks. Her mother was waiting by the genkan, smiling at her daughter.

They made their way to the well house and Kagome began to get nervous. By the time they were sliding open the doors, her hands had started to shake.

“Are you alright?” her mother asked. “You don’t have to do this right now.” 

Kagome gave her mother a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine, just a little nervous. I...I’ll come back as soon as I can, ok?”

Mrs. Higurashi nodded and hugged her daughter. “I’ll be waiting.”

They pulled apart and Kagome didn’t hesitate anymore. She jogged down the steps and jumped into the well. 

Her mother watched the flash that indicated that her daughter was 500 years away then turned to find Hojo so she could let the boy down gently.

* * *

Shippo was the first one to see her. He was sitting on top of the well looking down when she came through and he almost fell off the side in his excitement.

“Kagome!” he yelled. “You’re back!” He danced around the edge of the well, waiting impatiently for her to climb the vines. As soon as her feet were on the ground Shippo launched himself into her arms.

“Shippo, I missed you so much,” Kagome said and hugged the little kitsune tightly.

Shippo pulled away and hopped onto her shoulder. “I can’t wait for Inuyasha to see you. He’s been such a jerk since you disappeared.”

Kagome froze when she heard the name. A flood of memories came back, one after another, all of her shouting those four syllables. That was the boy’s name, the one she couldn’t remember: Inuyasha.

Shippo forged on, heedless of Kagome’s momentary shock. “He’s been super depressed and he comes back all the time to try the well. It wouldn’t let him through though and he always gets really mad. He should be back soon, he’s usually not gone for more than a few days.”

Kagome listened to Shippo’s rambling with half an ear as they walked towards the village. He was talking about Sango and Miroku, telling her about Kaede and some of the villagers, boasting about new tricks he’d learned.

They were at the top of the hill leading down to the village when shippo stopped and sniffed the air. “He’s coming,” he sniffed again. “And fast. He must know you’re here.”

Before Kagome could respond she heard her name shouted from behind her. She was vaguely aware of Shippo jumping off her shoulder as she turned to see the owner of the voice. The red and white streak from her memories materialized into the boy she loved, running at her at full speed. The rush of the rest of her memories returning almost knocked her off her feet.

Before she knew it she was in his arms, crushed against his chest, twirling in a circle so he didn’t hurt her with his momentum. It was a little shocking, Inuyasha was never the type to openly embrace her, but she probably would’ve fallen over from the shock if he hadn’t grabbed her up. She couldn’t imagine how worried he’d been, unable to get to her for a month.

She wrapped her arms around him and let herself enjoy his warmth wrapped around her. “I’m sorry I worried you, Inuyasha. Were you waiting for me?”

“What happened to you?” he asked, his voice cracking with emotion. “I thought...shit Kagome, I thought you were dead.”

She pulled back and met his beautiful amber eyes. “I don’t know what happened. I woke up at the bottom of the well with no memories of anything after my 15th birthday. I was scared and confused and-” she cut off and started crying. It was all catching up and the reality of being back where she belonged, with Inuyasha, hit her hard.

He pulled her back against his chest and cradled the back of her head with a clawed hand. “It’s alright now Kagome. You can remember now, right?” He felt her nod against his chest. “You’re back and it’s alright.” He sounded like he was reassuring himself as much as he was her.

He gave her one more squeeze and pulled away. He turned and motioned for her to climb on his back.

“Where are we going?” she asked as she settled into her familiar position.

“Somewhere we can talk without annoying runts interrupting us.” He made sure she was comfortable and took off into the forest.

As they ran Kagome settled closer to him, wanting as much contact as possible. She let her head rest on his shoulder, her forehead pressed against his neck, and took in his familiar woodsy smell. Her hands gripped his shoulders to feel the muscles moving underneath. She looked up and watched his ears swiveling to catch all the noises around them and she had to resist the urge to reach up and rub them.

They finally stopped in a little clearing at the top of a steep hill. They had a clear view of the sun approaching the horizon and Kagome hoped they could stay up here to watch the sunset. He led her over to a relatively flat area and took off his suikan to spread on the ground. She sat down and he settled next to her, reaching out and taking her hand. He laced their fingers together and brought her hand up to give it a gentle kiss.

Kagome blushed and gave him a bright smile. “Since when are you so affectionate?” she asked, teasing him a little.

He looked at her and the serious set of his jaw caused her smile to turn down into a frown. “Since you almost fucking died and then disappeared for a month.”

Kagome’s eyes widened at his admission and she moved a little closer. “I’m sorry Inuyasha. I just...I’m just so relieved to have my memories back and happy to see you. I should have thought about your feelings more. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

He sighed and reached to pull her against him. She settled against his chest, his chin resting on the top of her head. “Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault. I’m relieved too.” He held her for a while, taking in her scent, listening to her heartbeat, memorizing the feel of her body pressed against his. 

The second he’d caught her scent heading back to the village he’d bolted, leaving Miroku and Sango behind with no explanation. They would find out why soon enough; Shippo would tell them. Her scent had wrapped around him as he ran, his stomach fluttering at the thought of finally seeing her. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of her, her black hair catching the sunlight and twirling around her when she turned to see him. 

His heart skipped a beat at the memory and, for the first time he could remember, he thought about how much he  _ loved _ her. That wasn’t a word he used...ever. Of course, he’d loved her for a while he’d just never really thought about it in those terms. He cared for her and protected her; he was better when he was with her; he had friends because of her; she was his home and one word just didn’t feel like it could cover everything she was to him.

“Inuyasha,” her voice interrupted his thoughts. “Do you know why I forgot everything? The last thing I can remember before waking up in the well is the incident in the ogre’s stomach. I know we came back to the village to let my feet heal and I know we got supplies and traveled for a few days. I think I remember making camp and falling asleep but that’s it. Everything is a blank after that.”

Inuyasha thought for a second, debating how much to tell her. He could leave out the things that hurt: Kikyo, the feel of her almost dying in his arms, their separation afterward. She should know though and he didn’t like lying to her. So he told her everything.

By the time he was done talking the sun had set and the sky was being slowly filled as the world around them darkened and the stars made their presence known. Kagome didn’t interrupt and kept her attention tuned to every word. He’d blushed through the kisses, gotten choked up describing her pain, and hung his head when he came to Kikyo. But now Kagome knew the entirety of those eight days, at least from his perspective. Her memories didn’t come back while he talked but that was alright.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, still holding onto each other, letting Kagome mull over everything. “Is Kikyo alright now?” she asked.

Inuyasha pulled back to look at her. “She’s alive. She traveled with us for a little while but left with Kohaku before we headed back here this time. I think it hurt her to see how much I missed you.”

Kagome sucked in a breath and looked away. “I’m glad she’s alright. I’m sure you were relieved when you found her.” Her voice was small and Inuyasha let out a little growl of frustration.

“Of course I was. It’s not like I want her to die, especially at the hands of Naraku. But listen Kagome, I didn’t go running to her, I didn’t fucking grab her and hold on like I thought she was gonna disappear again, and I definitely didn’t run off with her on my back to watch a sunset and pour my heart out to her!” Inuyasha surprised himself a little with his own words but kept going, afraid if he stopped he’d never be able to say what he needed to say.

“You have no idea how much you mean to me Kagome. This last month was fucking hell without you and I don’t ever want to go through that again. I know I never really tell you how I feel and I know I hurt you when I run off to her but there’s a reason I’m with you and not her. I want to be by your side, always. I...I love you, stupid.” He blushed and dropped his eyes to the ground, too afraid to see her reaction. He wasn’t great at expressing his feelings and he’d just done  _ a lot _ of expressing.

Kagome gasped and her face flushed at his admission. Never in a million years did she ever think she’d hear him say those words to her. Her brain stopped working for a minute and all she could focus on was how  _ Inuyasha _ it was to call her stupid while confessing his love.

When she finally got her thoughts back in order she buried her face in his chest and muttered, “I love you too...stupid.” She giggled, failing to contain her slight giddiness. She felt more than heard Inuyasha’s chuckle at her confession.

She pulled back a little and met his eyes and the intensity in his stare stole her breath away. He leaned down and she met him halfway, their lips crashing together. Hands roamed, his over her back and sides, hers around his neck and into his hair, heading for his ears. Their mouths opened and their tongues dueled and caressed and explored.

Inuyasha took in every sigh, every breath, every little mewl and whimper. Her scent surrounded him and he tried to memorize her taste. He pulled her closer and groaned when she found his ears and delicately ran her fingers over them.

Kagome was lost in him. For her, this was their first kiss and she decided she would never get enough. She loved the feel of his muscles moving against her and his hands running over her back. She loved how his ears twitched a little when she rubbed them and blushed when he groaned at the contact.

They finally pulled apart, both panting and smiling from ear to ear. Inuyasha cupped her cheek and leaned his forehead against hers.

“I’m never letting the well separate us ever fucking again. I don’t care if I have to go with you for every stupid test, we’re staying on the same side of that damned thing.”

Kagome giggled but nodded. “I’m ok with that.”

He adjusted her so her back was against his chest, his knees raised protectively around her. He tucked her head back under his chin and wrapped his arms around her, not planning on letting go any time soon.

“I want lots of ramen though.”

“Of course,” she agreed.

“I mean a lot, Kagome. I went a whole month without any so you gotta make up some lost time.”

She giggled and lifted her head so she could plant a small kiss against his jaw. “However much you want, I promise.”

He kissed the top of her head in response and buried his nose in her hair. “And some of those crunchy potato things,” he mumbled against her head.

“I’m starting to think you missed the food more than you missed me.” She elbowed him playfully and he grunted dramatically.

He couldn’t remember his heart ever feeling this light or free. His mouth was pulled into a smile and he felt...giddy almost. It was a new feeling and one he could get used to, as long as it involved Kagome. “I love you,” he said again and relished in how good it felt to be able to tell her.

She sighed and melted into him even more. “I love you too. I don’t think I could ever get tired of hearing you say that.”

“Don’t get too excited. I’m not saying it in front of the runt...or the pervert. I might let it slip in front of Sango since you’re gonna tell her anyway.”

Kagome giggled and tilted her head back to kiss him, over and over, until they were both smiling like idiots.

“I like seeing you this happy,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.”

“It’s all your fault,” he scoffed. “Turning me all soft and shit.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” She looked up at the stars and let her head rest on his shoulder. “We should probably get back before anyone starts to worry...or get the wrong idea,” she said and blushed at her own implications.

“Just a little longer,” he said, pulling her tight against him and resting his cheek on the top of her head.

“Alright,” she whispered.

They stayed that way until Kagome started to nod off, the excitement of the day finally catching up to her. Inuyasha picked her up and wrapped her in his suikan, cradling her against his chest. He took his time getting back to their friends, memorizing every moment, every detail, as he walked them slowly home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, just one short epilogue to go!


	11. Epilogue

Inuyasha was perched on the side of the well, in Kagome’s time, watching her reunite with her family. Naraku was dead and the jewel was gone, wished out of existence by Kagome while in the meido. 

He didn’t hesitate when she was sucked into the meido; there was no risk he wouldn’t take to get her back. He’d followed her and fought his way through countless yokai, calling for her, telling her to wait for him. Her trust in him never wavered and she held out until he found his way to her side.

The jewel tried to tempt her, using promises of seeing her family again, of seeing Inuyasha again, to attempt to goad her into making the wrong wish. But his voice and her faith in him were all she needed and they were able to end it all with him by her side. Inuyasha couldn’t help but wonder how things would have turned out if he hadn’t had his wake-up call all those months ago when he was separated from Kagome.

They’d grown so much closer since the incident with the corrupted shard, both emotionally and physically. They didn’t get a lot of alone time but when they did he never hesitated to tell her that he loved her, that he wanted to stay with her. Kisses and small caresses were shared when they thought nobody was looking. The monk had caught them more than once, pressed against a tree exploring new territory. They never went too far though, keeping everything over the barrier of their clothes.

That wasn’t to say that everything had been perfect. He was still jealous when Koga came around, only now it seemed to piss Kagome off even more. He couldn’t help it though, she was his dammit, and that stupid wolf didn’t know how to keep his hands to himself. That was really the only time she ever regretted removing the power from the rosary.

Then there was Kikyo. Kagome understood why he ran to see her, on some level she’d always understood. He tried to be more open and tell Kagome before he went to her but he still fucked up sometimes. Maybe, if he’d been more careful or taken Kagome with him, they wouldn’t have lost her like they did. He tried not to blame himself and he knew Kagome felt some level of guilt for her death too. They just had to remind each other that it was Naraku that killed her, that Naraku was the only one responsible, and that Naraku was the one who would pay for her death.

At least Kikyo had found peace at the end and died in the arms of someone she loved. It hurt but he found the strength to move on and Kagome was there when he was ready for her comfort. She didn’t push him but she didn’t leave him to suffer alone either. It was just another reason he loved her so much.

Now he could hardly believe it was all over. Their friends were undoubtedly waiting on the other side of the well for their return but right now this was where they needed to be. As much as he wanted to grab Kagome and take her somewhere private so he could kiss her senseless, he knew it would have to wait.

He heard his name and brought himself back to the present. Mrs. Higurashi was waving him over, gesturing for him to join them in their little celebration. Who was he to refuse?

As soon as his feet hit the ground next to the well he felt something: a pulse of power from the well that left the air in the well house feeling empty. He locked eyes with Kagome and she came to stand by his side.

“You felt that too?” she asked.

“Yeah. What do you think it was?”

They both looked down into the well and his hand sought hers. When she squeezed his hand he knew they were both thinking the same thing.

“Should we try it?” she asked and looked at him nervously.

He was sure it wasn’t going to work. The well had always had a presence about it that let you know it held some unimaginable power and now that presence was gone.

“What if it only takes me?” he asked. “I don’t know if I could stop it.”

She pressed into his side and he put his arm around her shoulders in response. “I won’t let you go, I promise,” she said. “But we have to try. Miroku, Sango, Shippo, everyone is waiting. I don’t want them to worry.”

“What if it lets us through but it won’t let you back?” He hated to ask but he had to know and she had to be aware it was a possibility.

“As long as I’m with you, I’ll be alright.”

Her answer took his breath away. They both turned and knew by the looks on her families’ faces that they understood what was happening. They said a round of emotional goodbyes, just in case and nobody tried to stop them or talk them out of their decision. They understood how important their friends on the other side were.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

She nodded, once, and wrapped her arms around his waist. He pulled her close and held her against his chest, breathing in her scent, holding this moment in his mind in case the unthinkable happened. He hopped over the side of the well before he could lose his nerve and tightened his arms as they fell. No matter what, he would not let her go.

There was no magic, no feeling of falling through time, just the soft thump of his feet hitting the bottom of the well. It was closed, probably for good. They stood there for a minute, both contemplating what it would mean for them. They let out twin sighs of relief, too aware of how much another separation would have hurt them.

Kagome leaned up and kissed him, pulling him close. She pulled back from the kiss and met his eyes. “Inuyasha, I’m sor…” she started.

He shook his head to stop her. “It’s alright Kagome. It’s like you said, as long as I’m with you, It’ll be alright.” It wouldn’t be easy. Her world was loud, smelly, and confusing but he could deal with it, for her he could deal with anything. They’d spent a lot more time on this side recently and she’d even convinced him to wear more of the modern clothes she’d purchased. He would manage, somehow. 

They heard a new voice in the well house and Inuyasha started to growl. “You’ve got to be _fucking_ kidding me!” He wrapped an arm around Kagome’s waist and launched them back out of the well. “What the hell are you doing here?” he shouted at the newcomer.

“Yo, mutt, Kagome, it’s been a while.” Standing next to Kagome’s mother was Koga, dressed in a modern business suit, looking completely human but completely recognizable. “I’m here to help you start your new life.”

“How the fuck are you here? And why do you look human?” Inuyasha demanded.

“I’m a yokai, I live a long damn time. When you didn’t come back through the well, your friends found me and explained where you were from, Kagome. They wanted me to find you to make sure you were alright, even though they knew they wouldn’t live long enough to see you again. I’ve been waiting a long time for this day.”

“How? Why?” was all Kagome could manage.

“I’ve got connections that you’re going to need. Mutt is gonna need papers and a concealment charm if he’s gonna start blending in here.” Koga pulled out a manilla envelope and handed it to Kagome. “He’s also gonna need a tutor so he can get a job at some point.”

“Koga contacted us months ago,” her mother added. “He made us promise not to say anything until the well closed. He’s been working with us to get ready for today.”

“You knew?” Kagome asked. “All this time, you knew what was going to happen?”

“Not exactly. Koga gave us very little information,” her mother explained. “All we knew was that the well was going to close and you weren’t going to be on the other side. There was still the possibility that you both would just...disappear. “ Mrs. Higurashi’s voice faltered and she had to clear her throat before speaking again. “In exchange for us keeping quiet, Koga offered to set it up so that Inuyasha existed in this time. We wanted to be ready for...for either outcome.”

“Mama,” Kagome said and rushed to hug her mother.

Inuyasha plopped down on the edge of the well and stared at his hands, at his claws. Everything suddenly felt very real and he felt very unprepared. How was he supposed to blend in? How was he supposed to provide for and support Kagome in a world he knew nothing about? He looked up and caught Koga staring at him.

“You’re gonna be fine, mutt. We’ve all been ready for this for a long time.” Koga patted him on the shoulder. “You’re gonna have to rely on other people for a little while and it’s not gonna be easy but, well, we know you’ll do anything for her so…” Koga shrugged.

“We?” Inuyasha asked. “Who else knows…?” He trailed off and went back to staring at his hands, too much going through his mind to grasp one train of thought.

Kagome must have noticed his trepidation because she started ushering everyone out of the well house.

“Could you all just give us a minute, please? I need to talk to him alone.”

When Inuyasha looked up again, the doors were closed and they were alone. Kagome sat down on the steps, leaving room for him to sit next to her, and started pulling things out of the envelope. He joined her and she leaned into his side.

“Inuyasha, I know this isn’t what you wanted. I’m sorry you’re stuck here.”

He had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself before he could talk. “It is what I wanted, sort of. I wanted to be by your side, no matter what, and that’s where I am. I’m just worried about what I’ll do now.”

“We’ll figure it out. That’s why Koga is here, to help you adjust and blend in. Look, all the papers you need are in here.” She handed him the small stack of papers that proved Inuyasha existed in her time. “This must be the concealment charm,” she said, examining an expensive-looking sports watch with a digital display. The band was a durable-looking black fabric and the bezel was a deep red. It shimmered slightly and pulsed a little in response to her spiritual power.

“I’m not worried about blending in,” he lied and took the watch from her hand to check it over. “I’m worried...I’m more worried that I don’t know how to provide for you on this side, how to take care of you.”

She took the watch back and helped fasten it around his wrist. The effect was immediate, his hair darkening, ears moving to the side of his head, claws and fangs disappearing. “Do you feel different?” she asked.

“No, why?” He looked at his hands and noticed his claws were gone. He ran a finger over one experimentally and discovered they were still there, just hidden.

“You look human.” Kagome reached up and felt around for his ears. She could still fear the furry appendage and let out a sigh of relief when it twitched against her hand. “Still there, just hidden,” she assured him.

“Keh, of course,” he said with more confidence than he felt. “It’s not enough though, Kagome. Looking human isn’t enough; I still don’t know how to do anything in your world.”

“You being here is enough right now, Inuyasha. We’ll figure the rest out as we go. This isn’t like the past where men do all the providing and women pop out babies and do laundry. Things are a lot more equal now. Why do you think going to school has always been so important to me? I never wanted to have to rely on someone else to survive.”

“You could’ve relied on me though; on the other side I could’ve taken care of you.” He reached over and laced his fingers with hers. “I can’t do anything here, there aren’t any yokai to kill, I can’t hunt or fish for food, and I can’t provide a place to live. What good am I?”

“Oh Inuyasha, I don’t need you to do any of that. We’ll find a way for you to contribute, even if it’s just working around the shrine. My biggest worry would have been that you didn’t exist here, on paper. But Koga took care of that and it sounds like he’ll continue helping us.”

Inuyasha growled, “I hate relying on wolf-shit for anything.”

“Why don’t we just see what he has to say before we start worrying too much, ok?” She leaned forward and brushed her lips over his. “As long as we’re together, right?” she asked. “I love you, Inuyasha.”

He leaned down to kiss her more firmly before pulling her into a hug and resting his cheek on the top of her head. “I love you too, Kagome. You’re right, I’ll be ok as long as we’re together.”

They held onto each other for a few minutes, enjoying the last bit of peace before they had to face what lay beyond the well house doors. Eventually, they got up and approached the door to the outside and, holding hands, they slid open the door to face their new life together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there ya go! I plan on writing a sequel to this. I enjoy post-canon Inuyasha in Kagome's time and I wanna give it a shot. Still haven't decided if I wanna go with Inu/Kag domestic future stuff or something more plot-heavy so it will be a while before anything gets written.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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